IBM requires managers to come into the office or leave their jobs

CNN
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IBM gave managers an ultimatum: come to the office or leave.

The technology company is pushing to end remote work, asking US-based managers to immediately report in person or leave their role, according to a January 16 internal memo from Senior Vice President John Granger.

CEOs and managers are now expected to be in person at least three days a week, and remote workers who live more than 50 miles from the office have until August to move closer. There will be some exceptions for employees with medical issues or military service.

The return-to-work push is complicated by the company's efforts in recent years to get rid of it Real estate.

A number of IBM offices have been closed since the outbreak of the pandemic, putting some remote workers in a position where they may have to move significant distances in order to keep their jobs. The closed offices include Philadelphia, central New York and Iowa.

The consulting firm says workers who do not comply must “disconnect from IBM” and badge data will be used to track office attendance and confirm compliance with the new policy.

IBM's shift away from remote work has been steadily increasing since the pandemic. Individual teams have already enacted in-person attendance policies, and CEO Arvind Krishna has been vocal about his preference for coming into the office.

in interview Last May, Krishna told Bloomberg that promotions would be less likely for off-site workers — although he also said workers would not be forced to return to work.

Krishna also said that the company plans to use AI to replace 7,800 jobs over the next five years. At the same time, the company expects job cuts.

advertisement Fourth quarter results Last week, CFO James Kavanaugh said the company would spend roughly the same amount as last year on restructuring. IBM cut 3,900 jobs in January 2023, but Kavanaugh said the company is hiring.

IBM isn't the only one pushing its employees back to their offices, although many CEOs are doing so Even on the battlefield To get employees back to the office full time, according to a CEO survey conducted by The Conference Board.

The survey found that only 4% of US CEOs and 4% of CEOs worldwide say they would prioritize bringing employees back to their offices full time.

Instead, attracting and retaining talent is a top internal priority for business leaders. The Conference Board surveyed more than 1,200 executives, including 630 CEOs, across the United States, Latin America, Japan and Europe.

But this does not mean that some American companies are not taking a tough stance in the new year.

UPS recently announced that it is abandoning its hybrid work policy and is now recalling the company's full-time employees. The policy will begin March 4, according to an internal memo shared with CNN.

In the last half of 2023, Big companies have announced that they are becoming stricter in office work – But in particular, he did not announce a full return. In August, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that employees who do not adhere to the 3-day-a-week rule in the office may see their days at the tech giant numbered.

Meta told employees last year that after Labor Day, managers would track attendance according to its 3-day-a-week policy. until Zoom inwhich has been supporting the work from home (WFH) era, has called on its employees to return to the office.

But if returning to full-time work is dying, its opposite might be as well.

that EY US survey of C-suite corporate leaders It found that full-time remote work fell from 34% in 2022 to just 1% in 2023. Scott noted that senior members of companies are in offices more often. The study also noted that hybrid working is “well-established.”

Additional reporting from CNN Ramisha is known.