Thinking this through, there's no other reason for this except cutting numbers, knowing there will be losses and mental health damage of good people along the way. It doesn't make sense any other way.
Why?
Our leaders aren't d-mb; they know the productivity boost from agile employment and workers who work non stop without distraction. They also know they can pay people less if they work from home, and more work gets done. They know this.
They also know there are really good, hardworking people here who don't slack off and don't take advantage. Forcing them to waste time and reduce output isn't good for customers or the company. But they're still making this change. They know this.
All the managers and segment leaders are saying this is a bad idea, that it'll hurt productivity and morale, but they're still going through with it. They know this.
They know the data doesn't tell them that this is a good idea. The opposite. Nothing has been done to reduce internal meetings and this just makes it even worse. This goes back to before 2010?
There's no other reason that makes sense. The bottom line is, the leadership isn't d-mb; they've done the math. This can only be about reducing staff.