"Three Days in the Office? I'll Quit"... U.S. Companies Embarrassed as 'Return or Be Fired' Threats Backfire

Despite Mandatory Office Attendance, Employees Refuse to Return
Hybrid Work Model Maintained Due to Reluctance to Come In

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on September 21 (local time), major American corporations have declared an end to remote work implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and have mandated a return to the office. However, they are now in a dilemma as some employees continue to refuse in-person attendance. The WSJ noted that while some large companies have threatened to fire employees who do not return to the office, they are also trying to find a compromise by allowing a mix of in-office and remote work, out of concern that top talent may leave.

In a survey conducted by the workplace research institute Work Forward involving 9,000 office workers, it was found that compared to early last year, companies are now requiring employees to spend more than 12% additional time working on-site. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

Currently, major American corporations are struggling due to the remote work policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although office attendance resumed after the pandemic, conflicts have arisen as some employees continue to insist on working from home. The WSJ explained that major U.S. companies such as Microsoft, Paramount, and NBCUniversal are inevitably maintaining hybrid work models amid ongoing uncertainty from trade wars and declining consumer confidence indices.

When required to work in the office 2 to 3 days per week, 25% of employees consider quitting or changing jobs

In a survey conducted by the workplace research institute Work Forward involving 9,000 office workers, it was found that compared to early last year, companies are now requiring employees to spend more than 12% additional time working on-site. This year, companies like Dell and JPMorgan have ended remote work. The New York Times also plans to increase its minimum in-office attendance from three times per week to four by November. Microsoft is pushing for employees in the Northwestern United States to work in the office three times per week starting in February next year.

Currently, major American corporations are struggling due to the remote work policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although office attendance resumed after the pandemic, conflicts have arisen as some employees continue to insist on working from home. The photo is not related to any specific content of the article. Pixabay

In particular, Paramount, a film production company, issued an ultimatum to employees in New York and Los Angeles this week, demanding that they commit to working in the office five days a week starting next year. Those who do not accept this condition have been strongly urged to choose resignation with a certain severance package. On the other hand, after Amazon ordered tens of thousands of employees to return to the office, shortages of desks, parking spaces, and video conferencing rooms occurred, prompting the company to temporarily allow remote work in some locations such as New York and Houston.

Meanwhile, it has been found that some top-performing employees and managers are willing to accept pay cuts of nearly 50% in order to continue working remotely. According to Work Forward, most small businesses still allow some degree of remote work. Real estate information company CBRE reported that companies mandating at least one day per week of in-office work are seeing compliance, but when two to three days are required, 25% of employees consider quitting or changing jobs. Beth Steinberg, a longtime HR executive in the IT industry, explained, "Companies have a lot to worry about right now," and added, "They are especially unable to penalize high-performing employees who refuse to return to the office."