IBM issues a RTO for managers and executives - but they have no offices
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Anonymous
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Is this just a blatant attempt to get older managers and executives to leave and to hire cheaper younger workers?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/ibm-consulting-is-the-latest-to-order-an-immediate-return-to-office/ar-BB1gXjH8#:~:text=IBM%20Consulting%20has%20become%20the%20latest%20big%20name,corporate%20office%20at%20least%20three%20days%20per%20week. My BIL is a manager at IBM and has been for 20 years. In those 20 years he has NEVER had an office. He was a road warrior until Covid but when he wasn't on the road he worked from home. There has never been an office where he has lived. I think the 3 main offices are Poughkeepsie, Minneapolis and Raleigh (I think). How do they plan on having space enough for that many managers and executives? Also managers will then be in an office but their direct reports are located all over the country. This whole plan seems asinine. |
Anonymous
| Whether its wise or not, it seems doable. The three office you listed are probably owned or have long-term leases. They are probably large spaces with enough to accommodate pre-Covid levels of all staff in the office. There are fewer managers, so even if it's all the managers, and some of those managers originally didn't have offices, space is probably not the issue. |
Anonymous
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OP here - it seems short sighted that they are willing to lose a significant number of high paying (and high producing) managers and executives in order to save money. My BIL makes a lot of money but he also is one of the highest generating managers for IBM in what he sells. He routinely makes 100-150% of his quota each quarter and so does his team.
He is going to walk if they force him to go to one of those offices since he lives nowhere near any of those offices and is not willing to relocate his whole family. He has spoken with his team of 15 and of those 15 approximately 75% said they will leave as well. Seems sort of ridiculous to me but I guess IBM is willing to take that risk. |
Anonymous
| It's stealth layoffs. For people who have always been remote, it's just a layoff. Given IBM's history with age discrimination, and the difficulty that older more rooted people will have in relocating, I wonder if they are anticipating another lawsuit. |
Anonymous
The problem isn't with people who live in the area, it's with all of the consultants spread across the country who were hired decades ago to service clients nowhere near White Planes. They are also closing regional offices at the same time. |
Anonymous
He can walk but the grass isn't greener on the other side. Majority of companies are now starting down the RTO path. |
Anonymous
OP - totally agree but my sister (his wife) works for a partner of IBM and they don't have a RTO and she makes WAY more than he does. He would be recruited quickly because he is VERY good at his job. My sisters office only has one headquarters in Florida. All of the sales people are spread out across the country and then travel to see clients when they need to. Otherwise they work from home. |
Anonymous
| My husband goes into an office location mentioned above every day but it's completely empty. Should be interesting. |
Anonymous
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I used to go into the office and then be meeting via conference call with field managers who worked from home in CA, NJ, PA, NC, and so on.
But I was supposed to commute into an office in DC to do this. Eventually, the firm realized how much they would save by having us all mostly work from home. Then, I was able to do so as well. WFH saved me more than $1000/year spent on parking and metro. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
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He is a crappy employee.
My friends Dad worked at IBM his whole career and was near the Melville Long Island office and he had to move locations. He picked the location he wanted to retire at and located there and company was generous with moving costs. Raleigh is a wonderful location, great weather and lower cost of living and some great instate schools. Poughkeepsie is a wonderful location, amazing schools, very cute area. Suburb of NYC. You can zoom into Manhattan on the train or hop in car head upstate quickly for sking and fall foliage |
Anonymous
There’s your answer. They’ll hire new people for half the salary. |
Anonymous
So two high earning spouses, and he has a job lined up with his wife’s company. What is the concern? IBM clearly doesn’t value him so easy decision |
Anonymous
OP - how is he a crappy employee? Presumably your friends dad worked for IBM back in the 80s. My BIL has worked for IBM starting in the 2000s and never once had to go into an office. So its not like a return to pre-covid office. There has never been an office. The bait and switch seems ridiculous. |
Anonymous
Did your friend's dad have a wife with a career? |