I am still working full remote, as is our manager, and there is still no indication that we'll have to return to the office. I've been considering relocating for a long time, but I don't know how risky it is?
I heard that there were those who were told by the management that their positions were long term remote, but in the end it turned out that they still had to return to the office.
16 replies (most recent on top)
They require ALL to be based out of somewhere - with an office/desk assigned. For Dev they're very flexible - for the most part don't care - which is not the case for other groups.
For example, I'm in the RTP area, was totally WFH, but they eventually assigned me an office. During Covid I went in zero but lately a day a week (Free Food Truck Wednesday). But they don't check logs or anything.
In part I have no direct team mates here.
But my boss encourages folks to get together once a week or so but doesn't track it hard. Doesn't matter ( and the team is all over the world anyway ).
So I'd encourage you to ask both your manager and your manager to check and/or understand immediate upline (or 2).
That way if manager changes you know upline is still OK - well - still subject to new manager.
Most of the people I either know, or are in extended group (now co-located after remodel) are only planning on a day or week max - and most just pop in for the occasional meeting then leave.
But that's (1) dev, and (2) our particular groups.
Also location - pre-Covid I'd heard that Austin was sucky about badge log reviews and also "floor watchers" not necessarily part of your chain. (one SE's wife was berated for not enduring the Austin transit times (sucky) when she was on WW calls call the time - come in to sit on the phone? really? yes).
I think it would vary greatly by group, function, etc.
In particular though just ask your manager about his an upline position. Then do what you want based on your manager , his visibility, and your needs.
That said - totally remote from any site - may be difficult. Dunno.
For me - I was totally WFH - had some general HQ office. Then a few years ago they mandated no WFH - and on several circumstances they contacted my boss. See - they run "seating codes" and "office assignment" queries against the databases - and generated reports to contact managers.
So in my case - my manager thought THEY would find me a desk - and 6 months later they berated him and said YOU (my boss) do that.
That said - can be problematic on IBM's part (not your fault). A colleage was working remotely in Colorado, so they assigned him to Colorado Springs. But Colorado Springs told my boss "we're full - no more desks for anybody".
So IBM didn't have the capacity to really ki-l WFH (here they'd sold buildings and land to Toshiba, etc).
So they (CO Springs) suggested a code that says "this person does NOT need an office - just a home base".
So they want you to have a desk assigned OR be given that special code. And the local office may not have space - nor may give you a desk assignment if you're outside "reasonable commute distance".
Non Dev I know they forced some to move or leave - a friend in M&A - they converged to just a few sites and some moved (say to desirable for some NC) and some refused to re-locate - and (had to) leave.
So really it's a manager discussion in general and may require re-coding for moving to the pasture du jour.
You heard wrong bruh.
We know executive mgmt will not be coming into the office even for hybrid.
Only a fool would believe otherwise.
The other thing we heard at the meeting is that ALL THE NEW HIRES who were hired since March 2020 and have been working remote are being assigned offices in POK, NY....and will be expected to be working HYBRID from there by JULY 1. Those who are not local are expected to move to the POK area and drive into the office at least 1 day per week. Since these are new hires, it is expected that there will be synergy/team building events that will require at least a few days in the office every week.
For now, it is a CHOICE. We just had an all-hands in our org and were told that we are going HYBRID....which does not mean 5 days/week in the office unless you have an excuse like contractor coming (like it used to be) AND IT DOES NOT MEAN 0 days/week in the office!!
Look for a team where other key players are remote. There are many in IBM that will never and could never be colocated.
Emails I have seen all have the wording
"office open for those WHO CHOOSE to come in"
Have you seen the emails saying: ALL US OFFICES are open as of MARCH 1 (to vaccinated employees), ALL US OFFICES are open to all employees as of JUNE 1 (even to unvaccinated employees), the CEO/many other top executives touting "RETURN TO THE OFFICE" and wanting that to happen AS SOON AS POSSIBLE??
The writing is on the wall, CO-LOCATION is coming back and YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO RETURN TO THE OFFICE at least 2-3 days per week!! The only people I know who have relocated when full time remote are those who are retirement eligible and ready to say "I retire" as soon as they are told to come back to the office. They have nothing to lose and do not mind being marginalized when it comes to raises/etc if allowed to stay remote. They are willing to tell IBM: let me remain 100% remote or I will retire.....and let IBM decide.
If you are NOT in that position, I would NOT MOVE away from your assigned workplace unless you are moving to a workplace where new hires in your organization report to and can get management to change your assigned workplace.
I would say highly risky. Remember that your manager has very little power and barely knows more than you do; if there is a high-level mandate to return to the office, a "promise" from a manager that you were long-term remote is meaningless. I have known managers really work hard on behalf of an exceptionally valuable employee, but it's rare; rarer still that they succeed.
TL;DR: if you want to relocate, first find a job compatible with that location.
Only losers went back into the office at our center.
I don’t miss their stench.
From personal experience, if you are f/t remote and your team mates are in the office, you will be marginalized at some point. People will tire of patching you into the conference room where they are sitting around a table and so on.
If you are trying to coast out a few more years to retirement, then by all means, go for it.
But, if you have designs on staying longer term in this type of situation, you may end up as odd man out.
IBM is run by incompetent executives who can’t adapt to change!!! They have missed countless opportunities and should all be fired!!!
If you voluntarily relocate where you live for IBM...you must have rocks in your head.
Other tech companies ...
There's the root of the discrepancy. IBM is not a tech company. Apples and oranges.
median age of IBM’s staff in 2020 was 48, unchanged from 2010. Unchanged for 10 years - there is something wrong!
Other tech companies workforce age in 2020 was 35. IBM is ran by people who struggle to change and adapt to the 21st century.
Maybe Elon Musk will buy IBM and turn it into a giant bouncy house safe space for all you entitled whinyholes.
Not always. I can think of 3 people that have been remote for years, even before covid. All are very effective, respected and have skills that would be somewhat hard to replace. I think that is key. BTW, these is under John A. YMMV