I am a mid level manager in an IT company. Its a huge company, so much so its name is used as a verb.
Since last year we were granted WFH due to the pandemic. I supported the move because to me the work we do does not require us to be in the office. During the WFH period surprisingly productivity has increased, attrition has gone down and unplanned leaves have also decreased significantly.
In March, we were told that WFH would end and all of us will be back in the office by July. I told my team this and the team was not happy (understandably). In the next few weeks I got multiple resignation letters. Bear in mind what we do is also done by our competitors. Most of those who are leaving have gone to our competitors. Our competitors currently are all WFH and they have even go to announce that WFH will be the new normal for them and its likely to be permanent.
The resignations have gone to a level where by July we would be down by 45% of our workforce. It was so concerning that the Project Director (PD) call for a meeting of all managers to discuss why the people are leaving and how we can stop it.
When the meeting started the began by ranting and raving. Saying those who are leaving are ungrateful and have no loyalties.
He then asked “How much more our competitors are paying them?”. I told him “About 200-300 more a month”. He then replied “For so little?”. I took a deep breath coz this boomer is gonna be taught a lesson. I then replied “Let me ask you 3 questions and then you tell me if they are justified in leaving or not”
Me: “How long does it take for you to get to work? Door to door?”
PD: “About 1 hour”
Me: “How much does it cost you to get to work and go home for the month? To and fro?”
PD: “On average 300 a month”
Me: “thats on fuel, tolls and parking right?”
PD: “Yes”
Me: “Now lets imagine I give you 300 extra a month and 2 hour daily for you to use as you like. Doesnt that sound nice? Thats what WFH offers. Also no stress due to commuting. The extra 200-300 they are offering is just icing on the cake. My final question; extra time and money, would you blame them for leaving?”
The meeting got very silent after that.