I work for a large tech company. Like many of the others, they've started the “return to office,” drums some months back. My classification was “virtual,” as I was hired onto a team that was always virtual, regardless of the pandemic.
When they started the RTO talk they targeted people/teams that had previously been in the office but went remote due to the pandemic. But we all suspected they'd come for everyone.
Sure enough this week they started having conversations with people designated as “virtual” about coming into the office. I'm 1.5-2 hours away and took this job because it was virtual, which allowed me to move to the country and find a more relaxing balance in life. I can take my dogs out multiple times a day, each lunch outside with them, and not deal with traffic as I had been in the past decade.
In any case, I was told that unless they approve an exception (which is rare) I have essentially 90 days before they'd take that as a voluntary resignation. I was candid and said that I didn't plan to resign, but I'd consider it constructive dismissal, or work until they fired me. That is, unless, they were going to offer something for the resignation. That shitty thing is that I took this job at lower pay due to some stock incentives that still have one more year to fully vest. So no way I'm giving up unemployment insurance if they're not offering a carrot to do so.
Anyways, just another good reminder that especially for these large companies you're just a number. I'm happy I learned this years back and have been able to maximize my enjoyment and life balance during these last 3 years.
**EDITs to Clarify**
1. This job and team was remote years before the pandemic. This was not a covid-related shift. If this was simply a “they let me WFH for a while and now I have to go back,” situation I wouldn't have made this post. I would understand some people's heartache, but I wouldn't have had an expectation that being virtual was forever. This was a virtual role from day one.
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I have zero teammates in my state. In fact, I have never met a teammate in person because the budget was never approved to bring us together. So in three years it was never important enough that we get together and work as a team, but now it's important that we go into separate offices to build “teamwork.” They are not trying to relocate people on teams to be together, they are simply mandating they go into whatever office is closest to them, even if they do so just to sit at a desk and attend virtual meetings all day. If everyone on my team's capitulated we'd still be in 4 different time zones across dozens of states. Nothing would change about how we work, except we'd be commuting 3-8 hours per day depending on how far the individual is from their respective office.
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I can't really address those who think wanting to remain virtual in a role that was sought and hired as virtual is “soft” or being a pansy, or however many other ways you'd like to mask your general unhappiness with your current work conditions. All I can say is that your mentality is a race to the bottom and the idea that because you had to do it others should as well just tows the company line for them. Your thoughts that working from home just means slacking off assumes that those working in an office are nothing but efficient, and that time spent on a task makes it intrinsically more valuable. Neither is true, but perhaps middle management has its grasp on you too tightly and you've drank too much of that coolaid now.
I appreciate everyone's thoughts. I posted this mainly as a caution to those who might be just getting whispers of their company going this route. I'm not here to say “Poor me.” I'm Just saying to beware, be aware, be cautious, and stand up for what matters to you personally.
All the best.