I'm not a manager, but this ultimatum of "come into the office or leave" is ridiculous. I would not comply and I would most certainly not leave. They can either lay you off (in which case you get severance) or fire you (not as good but at least you get unemployment). Either way, their loss.
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At any rate, do the absolute minimum, or nothing at all. Your new job is finding a new job.
You're an 'at will' employee, which means IBM can (and will) pretty much do whatever it wants.
The whole RTO thing makes me think they had it planned all along to save money and backfill remote stalwarts with more malleable younger/cheaper/foreign workers.
I was laid off during covid from IBM with most of team. My state unemployment considered me ineligible for benefits. Another state they got unemployment. Depends on what state you live in.
It's a two-way street, good luck IBM. People with skills will leave quickly, and IBM will have to pay above market to replace them. They won't do that till it gets really painful to keep customers.
Just remember...the point of all of the wrangling is NOT to keep your job. If you're on an RTO list (most employees), then IBM wants to be rid of you anyway. They'll probably succeed, but you owe it to yourself to make the most of any money-making opportunities you might have.
The point of all the wrangling is to keep money coming in while you find another job. A paycheck works fine, but so do temporary unemployment benefits. It ain't much, but it can help you get through the tough times we live in today. There's absolutely no good reason that you should just up and quit voluntarily because you're being told to RTO. Help yourself while you still have the opportunity.
Just agree to it and use that time to look for another job and take care of personal affairs while doing the bare minimum work wise
Confucius say: IBMer who insist on work at home soon go over resume with fine-tooth comb.
Their loss? Right, like IBM gives a flying f about losing any employee. They don't even give a f if their solutions actually work. Good luck bud.
Unless one has experienced the RTO process in person, it's impossible to say what forms and stuff like that will be required. However, after applying for unemployment in various circumstances I can say this: Unemployment agencies take a dim view on bogus "agree to quit" statements from employers. If a remote employee is suddenly required to move, and their lack of action results in some sort of voluntary resignation statement from the employer, then unemployment will still be granted no matter what the employer says.
To put it another way: There is nothing preventing IBM from firing someone who doesn't move. But unless the employee actually resigned (and not just by refusing to move), unemployment benefits will still be paid.
It's all in the negotiation. IBM expects voluntary quits. Don't give in to them.
They will make you sign something ahead of time. A mandatory email will be sent and you’ll have to agree to it or quit. It’s not complicated. Your own manager will be required to make sure that you received the email and sign off that you agree to come into their office. If you don’t, then you are agreeing to quit.
Insubordination? Not at all.
I was a remote employee back in the day (GTS). Every so often I had to report to the office, several hundred miles away. Just like any other business trip, all expenses were documented and paid via the usual means (TEA's or whatever they were called).
Insubordination is a refusal to obey orders. If they really want someone a long distance away to RTO, then they can pay for it via the usual means just like other business travel. The employee must travel, but they do it at company expense.
They can also fire the employee, with everything that entails (unemployment, etc.)
they would s can you for insubordination and lets face it for being a mo--n
It's not a bad idea, but you need to execute it so that it looks like you were fired rather than a voluntary quit. IBM has no doubt got their legal ducks in a row, but the courts and administrative agencies (unemployment) still give credence to extenuating circumstances and life situations.
For example...IBM can't just tell a remote employee to drive 100 miles to the office a few times a week, then claim that "the employee quit" when they fail to do it...IF the employee communicates a hardship exemption to the manager. When the employee applies for unemployment, every unemployment agency I've ever worked with would award unemployment no matter what IBM said.
I'm not a lawyer, but I've worked with labor lawyers before. IBM has a number of options to make the RTO thing work, but the two big ones are:
- Eliminate remote work as a class, and rehire everyone as office workers. This means that every remote worker's job is eliminated (firing everybody), with everything that "firing" implies (severance, unemployment, etc.)
- Pay all RTO expenses for employees. If a remote employee is expected to travel to the office, then IBM pays for all travel expenses, including miles driven and parking fees.
IBM is expecting all the remote employees to just "bend over" and travel to an IBM office for free. In real life, it doesn't work that way. The entire labor industry knows what IBM has been doing over the years. If you really are a remote employee (not just someone who spends a couple days out of the office, but full time remote 100%), then if I were in your situation I'd RTO but charge them for it. File an expense report and demand reimbursement for all your expenses, as well as any wasted home office expenses you are now incurring by NOT using your home office.
IBM might still fire you...but at least you have options.
They'll classify it as job abandenment. Good luck getting severance or unemployment.
It’s a good idea. I’m assuming they’ll try to word it in some way that “if you don’t follow these instructions it will be interpreted as voluntary resignations” or some garbage, but(secks) who knows.