"Are We Students Stamping Attendance?" Growing US Backlash Against Ending Remote Work

Conflict Grows Between Google and Employees Over 'Three Days a Week Office' Policy
Some Employees Say "There Isn't Even Enough Workspace"

As Google announced a policy requiring employees to come to the office three days a week, conflicts between management and staff are intensifying. While management insists that working in the office is more efficient, employees strongly oppose the idea, arguing that they are not students who have to attend school every day.

According to CNBC on the 13th, posts opposing the company's policy have been continuously appearing on Google's internal site. Some employees criticized the management for excessively monitoring physical attendance, while others pointed out that they are being treated like students.

The employees' dissatisfaction stems from a memo Google sent to all staff on the 7th (local time). Google announced that it would track employee badges to ensure compliance with the "three days a week office attendance" policy and warned, "Failure to comply may be reflected in performance evaluations." It also added that even employees who have already received company approval for remote work could be reassessed.

Since April last year, Google has mandated employees to work in the office three days a week. However, many employees have not complied, and with attendance varying arbitrarily depending on managers or departments, the company has taken a tough stance.
[Photo by Pixabay]

Google has mandated three days a week office attendance since April last year. However, many employees have not been following this, and attendance has been inconsistent depending on managers or departments, prompting the company to take a tougher stance.

One employee posted a message mocking the company policy, attaching a photo of Fiona Cicconi, Chief People Officer (CPO), on a school blackboard, saying, "If you can't come to the office today, your parents need to submit an absence note."

Another employee expressed displeasure with the badge tracking policy, saying, "Check what I have done, not my badge." Concerns were also raised about increasing uncertainty for employees who moved to other regions after being approved for remote work.

This is because many employees took advantage of remote work during the COVID-19 period when offices were closed and moved to other cities.

Complaints about workspaces have also surfaced. In particular, in February, Google announced a policy for the cloud division to share desks, stating, "Some buildings will be vacated to allow the company to continue investing in cloud growth," as part of cost-cutting measures. Employees have voiced frustration that even if they want to come to the office and work, there is no workspace available.

Meanwhile, in South Korea, when Kakao introduced a new work system in January that requires full office attendance instead of remote work, employees strongly opposed it and many joined labor unions. However, if remote work is more effective or unavoidable for certain organizations or individuals, remote work is allowed with the approval of the team leader.