I’ve heard rumblings of this for awhile and usually ignore it. But heard from 3 different people today that the announcement is coming out Wednesday that beginning in October we will be required to be in the office 4 days a week. Anyone else hearing this? (I hope I’m wrong and it’s just a rumor)
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I am required to go in but some of the people on my team who live similar distance away from the office are fully remote. Anyone know why this could be.
Question for the director. I assume most managers feel the same way you do, however have you received any communication about how this will work? Will you really have discretion or will you have to goal employees based on a badge swipe or whatever other tool they use?
The communication is worded in a way that sounds like it will be taken out of manager control.
Director here. If you don't trust your employees then get rid of them. Period.
I won't play hall monitor for anybody.
I went in yesterday, everyone looked like a hostage, quieter than a library.
No more flexible workplace it’s like a prison camp!
Just going to have to quiet quit harder.
I wonder how much pressure they’re going to put on managers to enforce this. The policy states manager discretion so we’ll see if that’s really true. I don’t plan on enforcing this where it doesn’t make sense. Sending people into an office by themselves with nobody they work with is just stupid and I don’t support it.
I know everyone is complaining. I went through this exact scenario at Wells Fargo about 18 months ago. I initially refused to RTO and held out for about 8-10 months when my manager finally brought it up (I was the only person on my team on the East coast). We tried kicking the can down the road for awhile before it was brought up again and I decided to leave. It was very easy using badge swipes and VPN to detect that I wasn't in the office. Wells introduced the RTO requirement slowly and then started getting more aggressive about it as time went on. So far I believe they have been mostly successful. This is likely what will happen at Truist. Downvote this all you like but you should brace yourselves. Truist has other banks as examples to follow.
Let the talent leave, or just rif them. The managers can do all the work themselves or have fun meeting regulatory requirements with offshore talent. I've never seen a company go from 100 to zero like this. Amazing.
This is happening because those of you who were told to come in 3 days a week decided to make your own schedule.
Did you honestly think you wouldn't have to come in the office at all?
Blame yourself not Truist.
Truist has found “increasing in-person interactions allows us to reinvigorate a connected culture,” the spokesperson said in an email to Bloomberg.
We were told in March about the 4 day weekend by management starting in May and then in April we told that dept is outsourcing and layoffs will be between June and September will come . Strange that the 4 day was pushed back to October . I guess it had to do with the layoffs.
I was mostly compliment for no benefit only detriment and now I am about to be non-compliant. Push me and I will resist. My manager can look me in the eye and discipline me.
Would love to hear from more managers to learn what they are hearing. I assume they heard about this news at the same time as everyone else. I am curious what they are being told about enforcement. If levels of management 2-3 levels below executives aren’t going to be forced to enforce then this is more of the same and everyone will keep on doing what they are doing.
My hope is that is the case and this is just another tactic they have to get rid of people taking advantage of the system and not doing their work
I feel like most managers do not want to fight this battle as it is them who will feel it when talent leaves.
https://fortune.com/2024/04/17/dropbox-ceo-drew-houston-managers-mandating-rto-return-to-office-mashing-go-back-to-2019-button-toxic-relationships-staff/
Mandating a 4-day in-office requirement for hybrid "teammates" is another way to try to squeeze people out without having to pay them to leave with RIFs. They don't have the space to support everyone being in the office and there's no way setting up more "neighborhoods" with dedicated spaces will fix anything. I will never understand how we could magically complete a merger while being almost completely remote only to be told the only way to be successful now is with everyone together. And by together I mean all sitting next to each other with headsets on while on different calls because we will still work with remote and offshore people. Just get Project STAR phase 157 underway already.
The policy was 3 days for my area, Enterprise Operations, but now it's going to 4 and as a manager I'm going to be having to enforce the number of days. Apparently I'll learn more in the future about how that's going to work? But truly, why didn't they just put in the enforcement for 3 days and leave it at that. There's very little flexibility or "intentional togetherness" when it's 4 day. Especially since many of my colleagues are now offshore or remote vendors. As a mid-level manager who's also an individual contributor this is just more cr-p on my plate. I'd prefer to be able to focus on actual performance and deliverables, not average badge swipes per week.
Wait for another Covid pandemic. They’ll push teammates back out of the office and praise remote work. Shouldn’t have gotten rid of people’s offices and workspaces if you they wanted people to come back.
Move out of the sticks. It will change your life.
Don't want to RTO check this out
https://flexa.careers/flexified
I heard they were reevaluating all the remote positions to see if they are truly remote. The requirement is you must live more than 30 miles away from the closest Office to be remote
That is a great point about goals. Really hard to justify putting it in the goals if some team members are remote. Remote teammates on my team are remote as there is no locations within reason. While I 100% agree that they should get to stay remote it begs the question of if I can be remote if I move further away.
Really hope they do not remove the remote designation for people. In other areas where the 3 days has been enforced there are people going into offices with no one they ever interact with on any level. Reason. ThE cUlTuRe.
I’m part of a team of 5, 3-hybrid, 2-remote. So, if this is put in our goals, how will the remote teammates be held accountable for walking to their kitchen tables. This is complete trash. I’m not sure how they can get away with such disparate treatment.
I am now concerned that this will be put in our goals. I was wondering why it is April and out goals have yet to be established in workday.
VPN connection data plus badge swipe data is one of the easiest options for tracking.
“Compliance to RTO is being put into some people's annual targets.“
What does this mean, what are “annual targets”? We were told not to put in office attendance in WorkDay goals in our area. Anybody else have it in goals? That would signal they’re serious and actually plan to enforce
I haven't been in office in over 6 months despite having a supposed 3 day in office work week, I know most of my co-workers haven't as well, at least for the moment badge swipes don't seem to be tracked at all even though they are supposed to be, it wouldn't surprise me if this doesn't change with this new update.
Dear Bill,
The bank’s weak performance is due to its weak leadership, not because teammates are hybrid or remote. Those of us who have remained are not the issue. Fix the leadership and the rest will follow.
Sincerely,
Truist Financial Corp. told its investment-banking staff that they must now be in the office every weekday from June 1, in another sign that some pandemic-era flexible working arrangements are coming to an end.
Have any managers received word on this "other data monitoring" and what it entails and how you are being told it will work. The e-mail said managers will receive a special 'Manager News' with additional guidance this afternoon.
Curious what managers are being told and how it will work.
Compliance to RTO is being put into some people's annual targets.
I don’t think tax breaks have anything to do with it. Clown take bro
These jokers have to prop up the CRE market. And not lose those tax breaks
There is a related post on the briefing room webpage that is an FAQ (of sorts). On the top of the second page it states that managers will be responsible for enforcing compliance and will be provided with "badge swipe and other data monitoring" - whatever "other data monitoring" means - in order to hold their direct reports accountable. It reads like they are going to be holding the managers' feet to the fire to hold their direct reports' feet to the fire. How will it actually work? Who knows...
To my disappointment, they have not posted a related story on The Source. At least not yet. I was looking forward to seeing round two of the bashing EL took when they posted a story about the 3 day RTO policy.
So glad I took VSRP!!
Former Enterprise Tech employee
Has anyone had any conversations with a manager at any level to see if this changes how this has historically been enforced.
It seems like this message has come out multiple times now since COVID and people just ignore it because the managers do not care and do not want to fight the battle for those who are doing good work and prefer remote.
I had been told that they are not tracking it in anyway and so long as I am visible when needed (thinking meetings, occasional in office day) then all is good. It would only be a problem if performance dropped and no one could ever figure out where I was.
Same for Enterprise Payments. CW just sent an email out. 4 days a week starting Oct. 1st. This company treats it's employees like trash. I don't even interface with clients and the teammates I collaborate with are mostly offshore or in Atlanta/Raleigh. Going into office makes ZERO business sense for my role. I work in technology.
So glad y’all RIFFed me. Would be miserable right now.
I’m in Enterprise Technology and an email just came out with the updated RTO policy. It is indeed 4 days per week mandatory beginning October 1.
The execs are just looking to blame anyone but themselves for the company's struggles. QED - must be the lazy employees slacking off at home…