Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Ford know exactly what they’re doing. They force people back to the office, fully aware that many will quit rather than comply. It’s a calculated move, fewer severance payouts, no unemployment costs, and a cleaner reputation than official layoffs. If they admitted the truth, there’d be backlash but frame it as “collaboration” or “culture” and suddenly no one questions it. The worst part is that the outdated boomer narrative still lets them get away with it. It’s not about work it’s about control and cost-cutting, wrapped in buzzwords.
I have a friend who does customer service for Sherwin Williams in Cleveland. They just built a new office downtown and did surveys during construction to determine how many offices and parking spaces they would need for everyone doing hybrid work. Last month they announced that everyone needs to return to office. Except the building was designed for a fraction of the staff
Google started hot-desking, so I imagine staff had to clean up all personalization (part of the soul of google) so your flair wasn’t visual clutter for the other two shifts using your desk.
Yupp, no personal items allowed in the cubicles now. Only they aren’t hot desking since everyone was mandated to come in to the office. It’s layoffs in all but name
Almost the same thing happened at my company. First, they reduced most of the offices, then they tried to force everyone back. Luckily somehow my team managed to stay remote on new contracts.