I’m not on the clock yet, so
https://youtu.be/4ec_yZCWOCY?si=gdQk-lKgX7Cl8dBA
4 replies (most recent on top)
There's little flexibility when the RTO mandate that was emailed specifically states Friday as the remote day.
Again, the hybrid situation isn't the issue. It's the fact that there are people who were put under remote contracts and shifted their lives around this.
Additionally, this also messes up a lot of the work allowances for people who are collaborating with international teams in India and Asia. Do you expect them to be in the office after 10pm or to midnight for these collaborations? (I've worked between 11pm and 1am to communicate with colleagues in Hong Kong and Tokyo.)
The company has adjusted to sections of it being remote for four years (with a promise via contracts). To turn it around with 1) little respect for people who have adjusted their lives based on said contracts, and 2) little understanding (and I promise that they were unaware of these collaborations happening when they made the announcement) of what was actually going on behind the scenes.
A shift from that scale of remote (some people don't have reliable transportation anymore even) to in the office in less than three months is kind of silly. As stated in another thread, do you honestly think the company will actually be rightfully prepared for everyone to be coming back to the office? The departments that have had remote workers have had their desks taken away. So it means another office move may have to happen. And equipment needs to be prepared on desks again, because there's no way I'm bringing any of my home equipment to the office. Is IT ready? The depot ready? Facilities ready?
Do it in a longer, gradual process and adjust to the individuals, address their concerns regarding contracts they signed and everything. Or you're just going to lose some of the top performers.
I've already personally seen that there's at least one company out there poaching employees from Fossil since they've gotten wind of this. Some of the industries Fossil crosses in the DFW metroplex are very close knit and talk together a lot. Word has been getting out from what I've seen.
Do you view Fossil's RTO as a strict policy? Wouldn't it still be considered a hybrid approach with one HO day a week, and providing flexibility when necessary?
There's also:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2025/01/07/why-return-to-office-rto-mandates-will-backfire/
And: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-11-22/strict-rto-policies-drive-the-best-workers-to-quit
Oh, and it flopping at JP Morgan Chase: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/jpmorgan-faces-internal-revolt-over-rto-mandate-now-talk-of-a-wells-fargo-style-labor-union-is-reportedly-spreading/ar-BB1rqUT7
Better companies than Fossil are botching RTO and Fossil has a terrible track record for doing things well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXNIdz535I0&t=6552s
Seriously, they're clowns. We kept the lights on during COVID and it's "Sayonara losers, we're gonna sc--w you over and go exploit people in India." Yeah, I'm sure enshittification from the top-down is totally going to make things look better after the Sketchers recall for lead in the findings, multiple ADA lawsuits, and all the 1-star reviews on the review sites for sc--wing the customers over.
I've seen that video. It's a good watch.
Unfortunately, I don't think Fossil cares. They are inept enough that they're going to fumble the RTO so bad and they're going to lose people in departments that actually bring in money. Instead they're going to keep trying to rely on those that drag down the metrics (and thus staff bonuses) for everyone all at once.
Anyone who says that people who work from home are slackers or just work part time are just toxic, old fashioned mo--ns who are technologically stunted. Which explains the insistence for RTO. (No wonder we crashed and burned in smartwatches, I guess? Or how we're mocked by tech companies/outlets for mishandling our closure of Misfit.)
In the end, Fossil is for the execs and no one else. They're too busy talking to themselves to realize that they're walking down a line to get yet another ADA lawsuit or just lose the hardworking parts of their staff and just become a company that has a majority base out of India to continue functioning, while the miniscule sales just serve to line the execs pockets before they decide to sell out.
I was a fan of the brand when I was hired, but not anymore.
And since I expect that toxic mo--n to pop up in these responses... Don't tell me to find another job. That's already happening after I was laid off... but not until after I trained my dollar store replacement.