Home » US Employment News » General Motors CEO Mary Barra revises return-to-office plan after pushback from staff

General Motors CEO Mary Barra revises return-to-office plan after pushback from staff

By Nagasunder in US Employment News, posted September 30, 2022

General Motors CEO Mary Barra has pulled her plan to get staff back into the office after employees were not happy.

Barra sent an email to staff detailing the plan to get staff who are still remote working back into the office for at least three days a week later this year.

However, the announcement has led to employee dissatisfaction and has now been reversed.

The return will now not be implemented this year, but "a more regular, in-person presence" is still planned for the future.

Barra said: “Our plan was always, and still is, to collaboratively design the solution that best balances the needs of the enterprise with the needs of each of you."

GM spokeswoman Maria Raynal stressed that although the timing for a return-to-office requirement has shifted, “the overall plan has not changed."

Employees of the automakers have been operating under a "work appropriately" philosophy since April 2021, which states that they have the flexibility to work "where they can have the greatest impact to achieve their goals and for their individual success."

Before the pandemic, the company's headquarters, which is located in the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, employed approximately 5,000 people.

General Motors, headquartered in Detroit, employs over 94,000 people in the United States.

Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career

General Motors is also a part-owner of the structure.

Barra sent the message late on a Friday and later said that was "unfortunate" and "unintentional."

But she added the move was motivated by information being shared "prematurely" in some parts of the company.

Raynal stated that the company will share more information with employees as future plans are finalized in the coming months.

She said: “We understand our employees have concerns and are committed to maintaining flexibility to ensure they can attend to personal commitments.”

Raynal told the New York Post in a statement: “As we implement this change, we are listening to employee feedback and will incorporate it into our planning.”

Source: Bizjournals

Follow us on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.