I think the obvious answer is yes - simply to hasten layoffs. But I’d like to hear other perspectives.
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time to stop worrying if you get to wfh and start worrying about having a job at all!!
What else did they ever finish? D2? ONAP? Concept of One? Transformation? Make your own list of the next big things you've seen that petered out.
Don't care, won't be here, but my guess is this quietly stops being a thing in a year or two. Sooner if the BOD wakes up and boots JS.
They talk about closing 350 offices, but they don't even know what's in the offices aside from people and the costs around moving the non-people stuff someplace else.
See stock price today? With the lead cable story, today’s downgrade, the additional $13B in debt uncovered last week, and the upcoming 2Q results - the company as we know it today may not outlast RTO.
It will probably stick because this company will never, ever admit they made a mistake even when it’s clearly obvious that they screwed up.
Just like almost any of the overarching programs issued by the company to reign in employees and control workflows, this will subside and be remembered as the “flavor of the day”.
The real question is what damage will be done during the mid-implementation of this process.
Depends on the team. I think some groups absolutely should be in the office as they need to collaborate; others, not really necessary. I’ve been in both types of groups, currently in the latter. No one is in my hub to collaborate with and even if they were, it wouldn’t change or help what I’m doing. Everything is scattered across the country which is the nature of the job, so I’m just taking up space in the office since it’s team call after teams call. No you can’t outsource what I’m doing or offshore it.
All of that being said, I think mid term they will rethink and change. They will say we heard our employees and some groups are being allowed to WFH again. But that will only happen after the hub relo/layoff fiasco. Probably not until sometime next year or after JS gets let go (which I feel is going to happen soon).
Replying to this post… “A permanent policy for a much smaller workforce. Companies can no longer afford the productivity loss commonly associated with full-time telecommuting.”
Do a little research. The data doesn’t support your position
“On average, those who work from home spend 10 minutes less a day being unproductive, work one more day a week, and are 47% more productive.”
Just one of many studies:
https://www.apollotechnical.com/working-from-home-productivity-statistics/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20those%20who%20work,hours%2C%20and%20get%20more%20done.
It will be in place until they hit their dream headcount number. After that it’ll loosen up. The pendulum always swings.
I’ve been here nearly ten years. What I’ve heard from people who have been here longer is that there’s been a pendulum swinging at AT&T from in-office to telecommuting for decades now. I expect this to continue.
To the person who posted about hots to productivity from WFH, I’d say that I have seen studies that show the opposite. You are always going to have slackers. The appropriate thing is to judge a person by their fruits. What RTO really tells me is that managers can’t manage competently.
RTO will last until we can get rid of Stankey
“Companies can no longer afford the productivity loss commonly associated with full-time telecommuting.”
Huh? Really, huh? I think you mean companies need to ‘manage’ telecommuting employees better or concede that managers are ‘completely inept’ in their management skills. Try having a one on one with each telecommuter on MS Teams, ask them to update you on their progress of their commitments. Actively listen and them comment either, “great work” or “how can I help you succeed”. The latter being our code word for “I’m going to fire you very soon.” Did no one go to management school?
Honestly, I think AI will make many jobs obsolete. And you don’t need to be face to face with people when you're collaborating with a machine all day. Besides, I’ve never seen a 3 year plan carried out, something always causes a change in direction before that.
Don’t see how it can keep up. 2 long term solid principle architects I work with are “retiring” in Aug because of this. Work being transitioned to sub par team members and divided up. One of them (no longer) leading upcoming Sf/broadband mess.
I don’t think it’s permanent. Some orgs will be stricter than others. They can’t have managers sitting on the floor, cafeteria tables or bar stools 8hrs a day forever.
It will be permanent when layoffs are finished.
RTO DO OVER ...AND BENDOVER
No. After the numbers are hit people will be sent home to save on real estate costs.
No, for many reasons. FMLA being the #1
A permanent policy for a much smaller workforce. Companies can no longer afford the productivity loss commonly associated with full-time telecommuting.
Absolutely permanent.
Not permanent. You won't be working for at&t soon, and won't have to worry about rto.