GoKawiil
Tech News
A New York Fed survey of 1,835 college-educated workers found that 48.8% had no in-person meetings with colleagues on their most recent day in the office, despite return-to-office mandates. Researchers Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington say many employees commute in only to spend the day on Zoom calls and Slack messages rather than collaborating face-to-face.
Employees at the newly merged Paramount Skydance, formed from Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, were told this week they must return to the office five days a week. Those unwilling to comply can instead accept a severance package of two weeks' pay per year of service, with a decision deadline of 8 p.m. PT on November 8. HR told staff the buyout is a one-time offer and no further programs are planned.
Skydance CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz told staff in an Oct. 26 memo that the company is launching a Voluntary Buyout Program for eligible employees as it merges Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. The same memo imposes a mandatory five-day-a-week in-office policy companywide, with layoffs still expected as Skydance pursues over $6 billion in annualized cost savings within three years.
Microsoft is increasing its return-to-office mandate for Xbox employees within 50 commuting miles of its Puget Sound campus from three to four days a week, effective February 1, 2027. The change was announced in an internal memo from Xbox chief people officer Jacinda Chislum Pearson, who cited employee feedback and a desire for more in-person collaboration. Employees with existing remote-work exemptions will need to reapply for them.
Research cited shows 38% of employees went through multiple RTO policy changes in 2024, with 6% experiencing more than five. One large retail company first required three in-office days, fell short, then mandated four days to force compliance toward three — a tactic that ultimately achieved the target attendance level.
New research finds that having a good relationship with one's manager correlates with higher job satisfaction regardless of whether employees work remotely, hybrid, or in-office. The finding comes amid continued employer pushes to bring workers back to physical offices after the pandemic.
Design firm Gensler found that about two-thirds of office workers are making unauthorized adjustments to their workspaces, addressing problems with ergonomics, temperature, privacy and storage. The findings come as companies continue pushing return-to-office mandates.
Ryan Roslansky, who has led LinkedIn for six years and been with the company for 18, announced his departure citing the company's increased emphasis on in-person work at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters. He stated that relocating would be necessary for effective leadership, but he prefers to remain in the Bay Area with his family, especially as his youngest daughter begins high school. Microsoft’s broader return-to-office policies require employees within 50 miles to work on-site at least three days a week.
USA Today reports that some hybrid employees are checking their managers' schedules to determine which days to come into the office, aiming to maximize visibility with leadership while minimizing unnecessary commutes. The behavior reflects broader efforts by workers to game return-to-office mandates by optimizing when their in-person presence will be noticed.
Resume.io's study estimates American employees spend an average of $6,736 per year on costs tied to commuting and in-office attendance. The research found this so-called 'RTO tax' is proportionally lowest in expensive cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco once local salaries are factored in.
Thousands of Barclays employees in the United Kingdom signed an open letter opposing the bank's shift from a two-day to a three-day office requirement, with senior staff expected in four days. The letter asks Barclays to compensate workers for the added commuting expenses the new policy creates.
A satirical piece published under the title 'We Must Return to the Office to Use AI in Person' imagines a dystopian company, Mondo Mayo, that forces employees back into the office under absurd 'Core Principles' and constant AI surveillance tools like 'Best Buddy' and 'SlurryHose.' The narrator, an 'Associate Slop Doula,' recounts mandatory retreats, an overabundance of leadership titles, and a rented robotic 'Mondo Machine' that parents family life remotely, all framed as justification for RTO policies.