Early Nov, notices start rolling out that RTO is happening and it will be 2 (or more) days a week. Local leaders all point the finger at executive leadership.
Nov 15th – Email Update regarding Work Forward received from FinOps Communications, Signed by Dan Gerola, SVP -Finance Ops
o This supports the indicators that the Return to Office was an executive level decision
o This email supports the information that the 2 day a week decision was made at an executive level.
▪ It clearly updates the in-office schedule to show that instead of starting at 2 days in Feb 2024, it will begin at 1 day and move to 2 days in June 2024.
o This email provided a link to an FAQ regarding RTO, which also supports that this is an executive level decision.
• Dec 6th – Ask Me Anything VGS with Craig Silliman – EVP and President of VZ Global Services
o At minute 40:30 min of the replay, begins the final (and very brief) RTO conversation on how and/or why the RTO decisions were made.
o Craig very specifically says he refuses to make a uniliteral (top down menu) decision on what RTO will look like for each office because he doesn’t know the right answer. That the “teams in individual locations know best what the right mix of days in the office, the mix between working remotely, working in the office, what days those are, and that’s by design and that’s local office will know what works best”.
o Craig also says “The design of work forward is for the local teams” and that our questions and conversations should be with our local leaders.
• Questions for local leadership:
o Why are we being asked to go into office 2 days a week instead of maintaining at 1 day a week?
▪ Please note that we are not asking to maintain 2 days a month. We respect that leadership wants to be in more often. We are asking why it cannot be a compromise.
▪ Many teams have proven to be just as effective (if not MORE effective) in a WFH environment as they are in the office. To many of us, this feels like a punishment and not a necessity.
• Many people have stated that if they want to be productive, they have to put in their earbuds to drown out the office. i.e., they have to isolate themselves, while surrounded by people. This is counterproductive to the goal of “corporate culture”.
o Since Craig has clearly placed this back on the local leadership, can we have more open discussions about what works for the local teams?
▪ People have anxiety about being in office.
• Anxiety about being around people. Anxiety about driving on the highway. Anxiety about the increased cost of coming into the office. Anxiety about the increased distractions of being in office and being unable to get work done, therefore feeling pressured the rest of the week.
▪ Child care is 30% more expensive now than it was 3 years ago. Due to daycare billing and attendance practices, 1 day a week will be easier to accommodate then 2 days a week.
• Child care is also harder to get into.
▪ For people who do not live near the office, traveling in to the office 1 day a week is more financially feasible
• This is in consideration to the cost of gas, toll roads, wear and tear on the vehicle, potential increased cost of insurance, etc.
▪ Since Verizon made it clear that there will not be cost of living increases to combat inflation costs (also in the AMA replay, at minute 34:45) the increased cost to come into office is a very real concern to many employees.
• Many of your employees are living on single incomes. Living pay check to pay check. Have only been able to survive this far because of the benefit of working from home.
• Verizon will absolutely lose employee talent over the 2 days a week mandate.
While attrition fallout has likely been discussed and executive management likely feels that the loss is acceptable; as local leadership we think it is important to acknowledge that you’re going to lose your best talent when VZ can’t afford to lose its worst.