So here is a summary of a long thread on HR, it's here https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1jmvenx15 or here @1jmvenx15
** backlash against hr's email**
many employees found the recent email from hr to be misleading, out of touch, and even laughable. they mocked its language and tone, particularly its attempt to frame return-to-office ( rto ) as something positive.
"that email from hr... speechless. 'excited' no 'collaboration' no 'best company to work for' absolutely no." — JC ( @OP+1jmvenx15 )
"'welcome back!' ( to an office you never worked out of, that contains no one you work with! )" — Anonymous ( @bb+1jmvenx15 )
some employees also ridiculed the company for boasting about awards in the email.
"lol them putting their awards at the bottom is pretty funny." — Anonymous ( @cb+1jmvenx15 )
"'see, look at what fortune, newsweek, and forbes says about us! if you're not happy then you're the problem. dell is good. dell is great. we surrender our will as of this date!'" — Anonymous ( @bb+1jmvenx15 )
** frustration with the return-to-office mandate**
employees strongly oppose being forced back into the office, especially when their teams are remote or spread out across different locations.
"collaboration my foot. no one from my team works in my office!" — Anonymous ( @bm+1jmvenx15 )
"green company of the year' hahahaha how does forcing 100000 people to sit in traffic for 2hrs 5 days a week qualify as green?" — JC ( @OP+1jmvenx15 )
some also criticized the extra unpaid hours spent commuting.
"5 hours a week. more like 2.5 hrs a day for most of us. but that’s 2.5 hrs i am officially off the clock. that’s 12.5 hrs less productivity they get from me." — Anonymous ( @be+1jmvenx15 )
** increase in sick days and refusal to work while ill**
employees reacted strongly to the company’s message about working while sick. many said they would no longer work from home if unwell and instead would take sick days.
"'if you are sick, do not come into the office.' they are gonna see a marked increase in sick days." — Anonymous ( @b0+1jmvenx15 )
"'if you are sick, do not come into the office.'" — Anonymous ( @az+1jmvenx15 )
some expressed frustration that they previously worked from home when sick, but now they are being forced to either take time off or come in.
"if its ok to be remote when you are ill then its ok to be remote like some of us have been for years." — Anonymous ( @b0+1jmvenx15 )
others joked about calling in sick frequently.
"i feel alot of sick days coming on..." — Anonymous ( @b8+1jmvenx15 )
** criticism of hr and leadership**
some employees sympathized with hr, saying they are just following orders.
"i kinda feel bad for hr, they don’t want to be onsite anymore than the rest of us. and now they have to craft those ridiculous policies at king michael’s will. comedy in the making." — Anonymous ( @bf+1jmvenx15 )
others called the email nothing more than corporate spam.
"corporate spam." — Anonymous ( @a8+1jmvenx15 )
** uncommon opinions**
while most employees were critical, a few stood out with different takes.
"if i am well enough to somehow get myself in, no way am i staying home. collaboration is simply too precious to waste over a case of the sniffles or whatever. i'll be there!" — Anonymous ( @br+1jmvenx15 )
this person seems to support rto and values in-person work, a rare view in the discussion.
"who is jeff mckinney, alex." — TechP ( @dy+1jmvenx15 )
this comment is unrelated to the main discussion, making it an outlier.
** final thoughts**
employees overwhelmingly reject the return-to-office mandate and mock hr’s messaging. many are frustrated by the loss of remote work flexibility, increased commute times, and what they see as hypocrisy from leadership. some plan to take more sick days as a form of pushback.