The problem with this discussion seems to be one of a lack of good data, or at least a lack of an inability to communicate it. Isn’t there data on some of the questions? Ultimately a company only cares about productivity. The mental health of employees factors into this too.
At the end of the day companies (and the public sector) want to get the most out of their employees and one would think they would be putting in the work to discover if this is the best way to do so. Right now it feels mostly about vibes from both sides.
HotelDisastrous288 on
Resignations would be seen as a positive. It is expensive to let go of staff but if they leave it theoretically costs nothing.
Sure, lost productivity and staffing costs are there but that is in the next quarter.
SlapThatAce on
No one is resigning, people will complain and then go into the office because they have bills to pay. This is why wages will never go up, the lower they are the more leverage the companies and government have over you because your mobility and choices are drastically reduced.
Also, the government is in the process of reducing the public sector workforce, so I suspect they’re actually counting on people to quit.
GooserNoose on
>“It’s great to have everyone back to work, like every other normal citizen,” said Ford. “You know, you go out there, and you show up five days a week.”
This is clearly about optics and shaming public servants more than anything else. Ford has repeated “back to work” as nauseam, as though they haven’t been working this entire time. And let’s not forget, it was the employer who forced them to work remotely in the first place.
oddspellingofPhreid on
That’s a feature, not a bug.
It’s pretty well known that RTO is (in part) a downsizing technique.
I’m optimistic, but I genuinely believe that these are the death throes of mandatory full time in-office culture. WFH has become part of compensation/benefits, and those that offer better benefits will have a recruiting edge… And lower costs in this case.
Governments are trying to lessen the shock to “business districts”, but it seems likely that we’ve hit “peak downtown”. I doubt the “downtown” will ever truly go away, but it seems inevitable to me that it will not hold the gravity that it did pre-internet.
In 10 years, hybrid/remote working will (still) be the norm, and in 100 years our city planning will be very different.
soaringupnow on
You can resign.
But most of us have to work to be able to pay rent and eat.
If you are a rock star or there is a labour shortage in your field you may be able to change jobs, but otherwise you’re probably hosed.
DueCompany4790 on
Don’t like going back to the office? Change your employer.
Bunch of public sector workers pretending to quit lmao.
Welcome to the real world.
goronmask on
I don’t think there were a lot of Ford voters between the people affected by RTO. The public display of disagreement is music to the ears of those more inclined to vote Ford…
janebenn333 on
I worked 100% remote for five years. I retired earlier this year just as my employer was forcing my department and staff to be on site a minimum of three days a week. I’m glad I left when I did. I accepted an early retirement offer just as this started. So… one headcount down; they didn’t replace me.
One of my best employees, so talented, so knowledgeable lived in Kingston and worked remotely coming to Toronto only when required. With the changes coming, he started applying for jobs closer to him. Another headcount down; he wasn’t replaced.
Great workforce reduction strategy!
bign00b on
As someone else said, the problem is the resignations are going to be largely composed of excellence, people who can find a better paying more flexible job.
No-Particular6116 on
I have AuDHD, the kind that prevents me from actually getting anything done in an office setting because I either end up wandering away from my desk and talking to the people I like for far too long, and/or my sensory processing challenges are exasperated by my inability to control how others regulate their working spaces. For example coworkers needing overhead lights on, while I need either darkness or a soft desk light. This obviously impacts not just my productivity but that of my coworkers.
Shifting to working full time at home has been a massive game changer in terms of me actually getting things done. Not to mention has had a positive impact on my burnout rate. I can regulate my space and schedule in such a way that I set myself up for success
I know it’s not like that for everyone but having it as an option has been massively beneficial. It’s given me autonomy in a way that allows for me to be peak productive. My employer gets far more and better quality work out of me now than before.
Sweetsnteets on
I quit because I got a 100% remote role and I’m telling everyone in HR at my current job I’m leaving because of RTO.
12 Comments
The problem with this discussion seems to be one of a lack of good data, or at least a lack of an inability to communicate it. Isn’t there data on some of the questions? Ultimately a company only cares about productivity. The mental health of employees factors into this too.
At the end of the day companies (and the public sector) want to get the most out of their employees and one would think they would be putting in the work to discover if this is the best way to do so. Right now it feels mostly about vibes from both sides.
Resignations would be seen as a positive. It is expensive to let go of staff but if they leave it theoretically costs nothing.
Sure, lost productivity and staffing costs are there but that is in the next quarter.
No one is resigning, people will complain and then go into the office because they have bills to pay. This is why wages will never go up, the lower they are the more leverage the companies and government have over you because your mobility and choices are drastically reduced.
Also, the government is in the process of reducing the public sector workforce, so I suspect they’re actually counting on people to quit.
>“It’s great to have everyone back to work, like every other normal citizen,” said Ford. “You know, you go out there, and you show up five days a week.”
This is clearly about optics and shaming public servants more than anything else. Ford has repeated “back to work” as nauseam, as though they haven’t been working this entire time. And let’s not forget, it was the employer who forced them to work remotely in the first place.
That’s a feature, not a bug.
It’s pretty well known that RTO is (in part) a downsizing technique.
I’m optimistic, but I genuinely believe that these are the death throes of mandatory full time in-office culture. WFH has become part of compensation/benefits, and those that offer better benefits will have a recruiting edge… And lower costs in this case.
Governments are trying to lessen the shock to “business districts”, but it seems likely that we’ve hit “peak downtown”. I doubt the “downtown” will ever truly go away, but it seems inevitable to me that it will not hold the gravity that it did pre-internet.
In 10 years, hybrid/remote working will (still) be the norm, and in 100 years our city planning will be very different.
You can resign.
But most of us have to work to be able to pay rent and eat.
If you are a rock star or there is a labour shortage in your field you may be able to change jobs, but otherwise you’re probably hosed.
Don’t like going back to the office? Change your employer.
Bunch of public sector workers pretending to quit lmao.
Welcome to the real world.
I don’t think there were a lot of Ford voters between the people affected by RTO. The public display of disagreement is music to the ears of those more inclined to vote Ford…
I worked 100% remote for five years. I retired earlier this year just as my employer was forcing my department and staff to be on site a minimum of three days a week. I’m glad I left when I did. I accepted an early retirement offer just as this started. So… one headcount down; they didn’t replace me.
One of my best employees, so talented, so knowledgeable lived in Kingston and worked remotely coming to Toronto only when required. With the changes coming, he started applying for jobs closer to him. Another headcount down; he wasn’t replaced.
Great workforce reduction strategy!
As someone else said, the problem is the resignations are going to be largely composed of excellence, people who can find a better paying more flexible job.
I have AuDHD, the kind that prevents me from actually getting anything done in an office setting because I either end up wandering away from my desk and talking to the people I like for far too long, and/or my sensory processing challenges are exasperated by my inability to control how others regulate their working spaces. For example coworkers needing overhead lights on, while I need either darkness or a soft desk light. This obviously impacts not just my productivity but that of my coworkers.
Shifting to working full time at home has been a massive game changer in terms of me actually getting things done. Not to mention has had a positive impact on my burnout rate. I can regulate my space and schedule in such a way that I set myself up for success
I know it’s not like that for everyone but having it as an option has been massively beneficial. It’s given me autonomy in a way that allows for me to be peak productive. My employer gets far more and better quality work out of me now than before.
I quit because I got a 100% remote role and I’m telling everyone in HR at my current job I’m leaving because of RTO.