This past June, Ford rolled out a new return-to-office (RTO) mandate requiring its global, salaried, white collar workers to report to those offices at least four days per week. This move came after years of work-from-home and hybrid models following the onset of the pandemic, and has been mimicked by most major corporations and Ford's rivals, too. However, as one would imagine, that move didn't go over well with folks that actually enjoy working from home or even find that they're more productive in that setting. Regardless, Ford is now doubling down on its RTO policy, it seems.
As Ford Authority reported last week, things reached a boiling point when some Ford internal meeting room screens were hacked to display an anti-RTO message, which the company is currently investigating. Now, according to Business Insider, Ford has reportedly sent emails to some of its employees informing them that they could face termination if they don't report to the office as required.
Two of those workers stated that they have in fact complied with the policy, and yet, received the email anyway. According to Ford Enterprise Technology division human resources director Homer Isaac, the emails are intended to instigate a "change of behavior" as it pertains to remote work, adding that workers who have been "doing the things that you were supposed to" were "caught up in a lot of that noise," adding that those complying with the RTO policy won't have to worry about losing their jobs.
"The letters up to this point, quite honestly, were based on a window where our standard wasn't the same as everybody else's standard. The communications are standard, and I will pledge to this team, we have asked for those to be changed or modified - we have failed in that," Issac admitted.
"We have done everything we can to make sure our employees understand the in-office policy, and we have given everyone time to adjust their schedules and work with their managers to make sure they are in compliance," a Ford spokesperson told Business Insider.
Comments
Maybe just an excuse to cull the white collar workforce even further. It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day…and this is the new reality for the work-a-day world. Why waste hours upon hours commuting every day to a remote office, when statistics verify that productivity from remote locations which don’t involve long commutes is far higher than the alternative. Old business models, old cultures…old ways of thinking.
Jim podcast’s the dictator ! Maybe is tine to give good examples to employees and don’t waste so much time in podcast’s and races, use this time focusing in CEO tasks & responsibilities …
Working from home doesn’t work for every job position, but for those for whom it does, productivity and coworker satisfaction are higher than those working in an office cubicle. That said, job tasks need to be quantified to measure productivity, with minimum requirements established. When that is done, it’s a win-win for both the employer and the employee. The employers can have fewer brick-and-mortar locations to maintain, and employees can have a more enjoyable work environment. Maintaining a team environment and communication is one of the most challenging elements of the work-at-home model. But it can be done. Those employers who are successful at establishing work-at-home jobs will be able to recruit and maintain the best and brightest.
I’m sure some employees prefer the work at home model; but as Ford is their employer, they get to set the working arrangement and hours. If you can’t adapt to that, then the employees in question should find employment elsewhere. It’s not about job satisfaction, or employee preference; it’s about the right of the employer to dictate work conditions. Every employee has the right to vote with their feet if they aren’t happy.
Ford going all in on anti-worker rhetoric and policy. Good way to lose good workers and close the door on new hires. Trying to save money by forcing “self-imposed” layoffs? Try cutting the CEO’s pay by 90% and putting that money back into the company.
I wonder how many days a week Farley and Junior spend in the office?
They are too busy playing at the racetrack