Is AT&T’s RTO Mandate Really a ‘Layoff In Sheep’s Clothing’?
AT&T employees don’t seem very happy about this mandatory office return, especially those who would have to relocate in order to keep their jobs at the company. What’s more, some more skeptical employees think AT&T’s recent policy switch is being used as a covert way to trim headcount.
Company employees have been turning to Reddit to discuss this theory, with the user josephson93 posting “AT&T obviously hoping for a lot of people to quit”, and user tubezninja agreeing by commenting “Yup, this is the cheapest way to reduce headcount without actually laying people off.”.
This isn’t the first time the world’s third-largest telecommunications company has been met with this criticism. In June 2023 the company was accused of carrying out a “layoff in wolf’s clothing” after it told 60,000 managers they had to return the office from July. The policy was muddied by the fact that managers had to return to one of the company’s nine hub locations, meaning that if they didn’t happen to live near one they would have to relocate – or quit.
As companies continue to grapple with economic pressures in 2024, AT&T isn’t the only major tech company that’s been accused of deploying this tactic. Hardware manufacturer Dell recently landed itself in hot water after a leaked company memo revealed that its RTO crackdown was indeed intended to “thin the herd” by getting remote workers to quit.
Similar actions are even being considered in the most powerful offices in the country, with co-leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy both suggesting that mandatory RTO measures could be an effective way to cut headcounts and as a result, federal spending.
These measures are pretty cut-throat. But rest assured, not all executives are so quick to turn on the lifeblood of their company. If you fear your employer might be trying to squeeze you out with a strict 5-day return to the office, it might be worth securing your future with a company that lets you work from anywhere.
