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Come in Three Days or Just Quit: Some Companies Give Remote Workers an Ultimatum
Companies are cracking down on employees who don’t want to go back to the office.
Videogame company Roblox on Tuesday gave most of its employees an ultimatum: start working in the office three days a week or take a severance package.
Other companies have also imposed strict mandates targeting work-from-home culture. However, not all of them have been as tough as Roblox. Banks and tech giants including Google and Meta Platforms are requiring some employees to come to the office at least a few times a week. Many companies have warned that if workers don’t show up as required, they could lose their jobs or face disciplinary action.
Company leaders are getting desperate to fill offices that emptied during the Covid-19 pandemic. They say their companies are more innovative and collaborative when employees are in the office. But many workers say they can do their jobs competently from anywhere and avoid long commutes and high costs by staying home.
In 10 major U.S. cities, office occupancy rates continue to hover near 50%, according to data from security provider Kastle Systems. Some companies have tracked badge swipes to monitor attendance among employees reluctant to return.
Here are some of the companies that have expanded their return-to-office rules. The companies mentioned in this article, unless otherwise noted, declined to comment Wednesday or didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
David Baszucki, the chief executive, said in a blog post that employees have until January to decide if they want to take a severance package or start coming to the office from Tuesday to Thursday. The company, which has more than 2,000 employees, said it would pay relocation costs for workers who no longer lived near its San Mateo, Calif., headquarters. Baszucki said the company is more innovative when employees work together in-person. The company had said last year that employees could opt to work primarily from home.
The company in July told employees across the organization they may have to relocate to work from main offices concentrated in bigger cities such as Seattle or San Francisco.
Amazon said Wednesday that only a small percentage of employees will have to relocate and they can receive relocation benefits.
The iPhone maker starting last year required workers to be in the office at least three days a week. Some employees protested the move and signed a petition demanding a more flexible working environment.
The search company last year said most employees had to come back to the office three days a week. It said this June that office attendance records would factor into performance reviews.
The dating app told its workers that it would begin a hybrid-work model this month requiring at least two days a week in a designated office. Workers were given about two weeks to choose whether to relocate or take a severance package. George Arison, Grindr’s chief executive, said in an August memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal that he understood relocating near an office wouldn’t be possible for everyone. “Team members who are not able to relocate or who would prefer not to relocate will be offered a very generous severance package,” he wrote.
The bank said in a memo earlier this year managing directors would be required to work in the office five days a week, while most other employees needed to be there at least three days a week. The company said managers were expected to take “appropriate performance management steps, which could include corrective action,” for those who fail to comply.
The parent of Facebook and Instagram said in September employees assigned to an office needed to start coming in three days a week. Meta said managers would review badge data monthly and people not following the rules could face disciplinary action, including termination.
A company spokesman said Wednesday that Meta is being intentional about where it invests in remote work.
Elon Musk, the chief executive of both companies, told employees last year they had to spend at least 40 hours a week in the office. He suggested in a social-media post that workers who oppose this policy should look for another job.
Write to Alyssa Lukpat at alyssa.lukpat@wsj.com and Chip Cutter at chip.cutter@wsj.com
