Has anyone heard anything more about the in office changes?
26 replies (most recent on top)
@14e From what I've noticed about higher ups the last 3 years, if they say it isn't about "abcd", then it really is. If they say it is because reason "xyz", it isn't...example, my job got outsourced and I had to train my replacement. I was told that it had nothing to do with cheap labor costs (LOL). example 2, We were told that returning to the office 3 days a week would enrich our culture and make magical collaboration feel good moments happen. It has not, and has actually led to more people in my area wanting nothing to do with each other because being around each other all the team makes you dislike people more...so, when I hear ELT say that none of these moves are because we plan to sell or merger, THEY ARE LYING.
To me, 1 hour is a bit unreasonable for a place like St. Louis. When people choose to live in a place like STL, it's because we DON'T want to put up with long commutes. I don't think the radius should be more than 45 minutes (though I'd rather they not do this at all of course).
Also, I heard that this isn't about attrition, from someone who overheard senior leaders saying that when they make policy changes like this, it generally doesn't lead to much natural attrition, and so that's clearly not the reason they're doing it. I don't think that's true? Even a little natural attrition is cheaper than all the severance they just paid, and the RTO policy makes no sense if you're still going to have so many remote associates. So to me that's just another lie and attrition IS the goal. You can't say the goal is for us to show up to the office 4 days a week so we can sit on zoom calls with people across the country. Can't we do that just as well from home?
@fh why would you want to work for a company that hates you and is doing whatever possible to make you quit? They don't give 2 sh1ts about any of us, but expect us to give 110% for them? Please.
@gk ONE Penny Pennington and you don’t matter.
ONE Edward Jones and You Matter
@fp you’re right. They’ll keep moving the goalposts over time as it suits their agenda. It also helps them slow bleed attrition to not disrupt business as usual.
ELT knows exactly what they’re doing.
@fk that would make me nervous as you never know what their new requirements will be and even if falling outside of the requirements now, who's to say they wont change it again in the future.
People are already packing up and moving 2+hours away just to avoid RTO.
I live near the edge of the radius and have been dutifully coming in 3 days a week since reactivation. Am I excited about coming in another day? No. Is it a waste of 8 hours of my life a week? Yes. Am I less productive than working from home. Absolutely. But, I like my job and make decent pay. I get change is hard and this won’t be popular on this board, but if these changes aren’t worth it to you, find a place that checks all the boxes for you. It’s that simple. No company and no job is perfect. Even before the changes EJ wasn’t perfect. Make a choice that works for you and your family.
@f4 quiet firing is what they are calling it. They need bodies in the office while also needing headcount reduced further (for reasons). Everything is a freaking lie at this point and I'm so sick of them insulting everyone's intelligence. I feel like I'm working at a pyramid scam or something now. "Pay into the Limited Parnership, we promise to give you a return." 6 months later "oh yeah, sorry about that layoff, but we are merging."
@OP Someone may have already stated this, but there are major news articles now stating this RTO policy is indeed a type of attrition policy companies use now.....along with notifying employees by phone or email that they are laid off. If this keeps up, companies will be "ghosting" their employees!
@bp is it off based, zip code, radius, or 1 hour....I hear different things.
@b5 I thought it was based off of zip codes? Did you hear something different from your direct report?
A so-called one-hour commute that ignores traffic, construction, and whether an employee even has a reliable vehicle, when in practice it is often more affordable to live farther away than to shoulder the added costs of driving in, buying gas and lunch, and paying for car repairs.
@bp Based on the 'Hybrid Activation' e-mail that started all of this nonsense in 2023, it was a 'one-hour commute'.
I know at the time of announcement they said that the current zip codes would be re-evaluated. I'm currently in a non-commutable but it's close. Anyone hear what the radius currently is, and if it's expected to stay the same. My zip code is as close as 38 miles away from south campus, but extends to 47 miles away.
@b5 I’m sorry. That’s complete garbage.
Ironic how a firm that constantly spouts how they’re “human centered” is anything but that with their own associates.
@aj No, I moved before the radius was a thing and just conveniently am on the tip of it. I was hired as an HBA and the RTO post-covid didn't apply to me as a result. Now, solely because I'm within the radius, I will be converted to hybrid and required to come in 4 days a week.
@as That would have been epic with that view of West County Mall and parking lot. Maybe you can even see the Des Peres pickle jar from up there!
@aq was the meeting held in the secret garden?
I was in a meeting with PP for the first time in 2025. I didn’t realize how distant and confused she is about our business. She really has no clue what’s going on at her own company. I guess that’s what happens when you sit on a floor all by yourself and surround yourself with people that su-k up to you all day.
@af Did they modify the radius?
My theory is there will be a slow bleed of talent.
1) Existing associates losing flexibility year after year
2) Hard to recruit new talent when we limit to local markets
3) Leadership never delivered on salary improvements / job architecture
4) Leadership lacks inspiration.
5) FAs are leaving as they want to own the client experience / own their book. Starting an RIA has never been easier.
We have become a profit obsessed company, even if it means profits over people. That’s fine but there are much better companies to work for when profit is your only goal. We are one of the most expensive unsophisticated firms on the market and the next generation will be much more informed.
I've been HBA since 2018, very angry about this. Moved to the very tip of the radius to stay "close enough to the city if I need to do something" with much lower property values so I could get something nicer. It's not that big of a deal to come in once a month for something and I've done that for years, but 4 days a week? Out of nowhere?? Losing 8 hours of my life to a commute. Changing my hours so that I can avoid traffic as much as possible and have to wake up at 5AM. The new 2000$ expense for gas alone each year for the "privilege" of losing more of my life. I can't believe they're doing this, they very clearly just want me to leave without having to pay severance.
I would still be mad if I were only 5 miles away, but at least I could make it work. But 45 miles away is "within the radius"??
Nothing in Ops. Other than the fact that they took "feedback" and todd pretty much thinks it is funny that HBAs are mad along with the other GPs giggling like school girls in the leader meeting 2 weeks ago. People going from 3 to 4 days are also just as mad as the HBAs. Some HBAs in the valley live 40 miles away and will be 1 hr commutes. These people have been HBA for over 10 years and now poof, they want them in 4 days a week. The 3 days in people were already on edge from 3 days and having Frank "lecture" them about coffee badging it in order to beat traffic. All the people with skills and work ethic are going to bounce. The ones remaining will do just enough to not get fired. Aint nobody doing collaboration to fix this dumpster fire.
Basically show up in the new year abd badge in. Or PP, chubakka will come for you.