IBM Consulting issued a policy informing US employees who work near IBM or client offices on Tuesday, October 18.
The workers are expected to work at least three days per week however the directive has not been well received.
Employees responding to the revised work rules on IBM's Fishbowl app, which is used for internal discussions, speculate that the IT giant is "creating voluntary attrition so they don't have to RA," as one worker put it.
Other benefits associated with remote or flexible work include lower employer costs, reduced commuter pollution, lower job attrition, and a willingness to work longer hours, which are offset by drawbacks such as increased loneliness.
IBM Consulting, formerly known as IBM Global Business Services, reported 140,000 employees worldwide last year.
The corporate effort to encourage, pressurize, or force employees to abandon remote or flexible work arrangements implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is well underway.
Companies must justify the high cost of office space, not to mention executive salaries.
So, with the blessing of cities that would rather not deal with the economic consequences of depopulated downtowns, they have been attempting to reintroduce employees into office settings.
Withdrawal of remote work arrangements, on the other hand, tends to elicit outrage from those who see less freedom and higher commute costs.
Furthermore, some see in-office mandates as a way for companies to encourage employees to quit so they don't have to conduct layoffs and pay severance.
