Legacy tech services giant IBM has directed all its US-based people managers to mandatorily work from an IBM office location or client site at least thrice weekly with immediate effect. Exception approvals remain rescinded signaling the company’s urgency around on-site presence.
Managers unwilling to adhere to the new rule have been presented a quit or relocate ultimatum by IBM as remote-first arrangements stand forcefully dismantled across the management layer.
Abrupt Policy Disrupts Employee Flexibility
The jarring switch has disrupted specially-abled employees or managers caring for elderly family among others who had secured rare remote approvals pre-pandemic. They now face hard trade-offs abandoning flexible work support systems.
But IBM stands firm that its client commitments require on-ground oversight abilities from reporting managers. The company expects to also reap benefits like quicker decisions making and increased accountability through the shift.
Employee Backlash Over “Dated Management Mindsets”
A backlash has emerged regarding the mandatory relocation demand with many managers terming it reflective of archaic management mindsets that isolate talent hiring beyond traditional tech hubs.
Expecting valued managers to reestablish their life locally ignores today’s workforce priorities around work-life balance and family needs, as per internal critics. They allege complex personal situations are being discounted to assert managerial control.
