16 Sep NGL, I LOL’ed
–https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/14/tesla-struggles-with-elon-musks-strict-return-to-office-policy.html
Oh, Lord Elon. Bless your heart.
“More than three months after Elon Musk’s back-to-office edict, Tesla still doesn’t have the room or resources to bring all its employees back to the office, sources say.”
Kudos to CNBC for calling it an “edict.” Well done.
“The company is now surveilling employees’ attendance, with Musk and other execs receiving detailed weekly reports on absenteeism. Some employees who were previously designated as remote workers, but who said they may not be able to relocate to meet the return-to-office requirements were dismissed in June.”
Yeeeahhh. So this is the less LOL part of the story.
I’ve warned for months that eventually, Corpo America would go from the carrot to the stick. IMO, we are seeing the early signs of that now. Whether it’s the free coffee station disappearing or surveillance increasing, it seems we’ve transitioned from bribes to RTO to “RTO or leave.”
“Three months since this edict, Tesla still doesn’t have the room or resources to bring all its employees back to the office, according to people who work for the company in the United States and internal documents seen by CNBC. The people declined to be named because they were not authorized to talk to the press on behalf of the company.”
Why would they not have thought the logistics through first? As I’ve also said before: some companies value control and obedience more than anything, including money. Could that be the case?
“The return-to-office policy has also caused a decline in morale, especially among teams that allowed employees to work remotely as needed before Covid-19.”
How could it be otherwise? A lot of people feel like they are being punished in spite of their own productivity:
“But now the day is fast approaching, and Jackson is reluctant to trade her jeans and T-shirt for office attire. Nor is she looking forward to being surrounded by people, having grown used to the quiet of her apartment. Coming back on a hybrid schedule helps a little, but it still feels like a downgrade when she’s been happier and more productive working from home.
‘I feel like I’m being punished,’ [Latitia] Jackson said. ‘It’s been working so well and now you’re making me go back when I’m doing the exact same job there that I’m doing from home.'”
–https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/08/31/remote-work-return-to-office-flexible-work/
A few observations:
➡️ Not everyone in the work world is a boisterous extrovert. Some of us — gasp — enjoy working in a quiet area where we can think.
➡️ Not everyone enjoys wearing dressy attire to an office. I think the last time I wore a full business suit was 2018 and that’s A-OK with me.
➡️ I’ve predicted that some companies will be like Lord Elon and simply rip the band-aid off: RTO or GTFO, while others will use the “hell of half measures” hybrid schedule. When it becomes too weird and unwieldy, they will proclaim the need for full RTO for everyone.
➡️ Remote work has worked well for a lot of people. It’s understandable that it would now feel like a punishment to RTO. “You’ve been happy and productive. So let’s ruin that by demanding you come back to the Cube Farm.” -Corpo America.
–https://medium.com/@sara_causey/laying-down-the-law-da5487157cb3
A common response to all this is: OK, fine. We’ll just leave.
But how well will that work if unemployment goes up? I already believe it’s higher than what we’re being officially told and once it becomes clearer to more people, what then? Also, please keep in mind that many of these companies WANT people to leave on their own.
Remember Zuck telling you to self-select out the door? (https://nypost.com/2022/07/01/mark-zuckerberg-meta-wants-to-oust-workers-who-shouldnt-be-here/) Or Lord Elon saying you could pretend to work elsewhere? (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/pretend-to-work-somewhere-else-elon-musk-reportedly-tells-tesla-staff-working-remotely-is-no-longer-an-option-11654080247) Or Goldman Sachs kicking out the free coffee and saying they’re ready to start layoff season? (https://nypost.com/2022/09/11/goldman-sachs-yanks-free-coffee-perk-as-bankers-return-to-five-day-week/ https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/12/goldman-sachs-to-kick-off-wall-street-layoff-season-with-hundreds-of-job-cuts-this-month.html)
I hate to sound like Eeyore or be the bearer of bad news, but IMO, the throes of The Great Resignation are over. Think Tony Stark saying, “The Avengers broke up. We’re toast.” I think The Great Resignation is toast. Yes, there are still people making job changes as there always will be, but the number of legit open jobs ripe for the picking . . . well . . . not so much.
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