In a recent move that has sparked debate and concern among employees, IBM has issued an ultimatum to its managers: Return to the office or leave the company. The technology giant is pushing for an end to remote work, stating that US-based managers must report in-person immediately or face the prospect of losing their roles, according to an internal memo from senior vice president John Granger on January 16th.

Under this new policy, executives and managers will be required to be present in the office at least three days a week. Additionally, remote workers residing more than 50 miles away from an office have been given until August to relocate closer. However, exceptions will be made for employees with medical conditions or military service.

The decision comes as several IBM offices have remained closed since the onset of the pandemic. This closure has left many remote workers in a challenging position, as they may be forced to uproot their lives and move significant distances in order to maintain their employment. Major office closures include locations in Philadelphia, central New York State, and Iowa.

To enforce compliance with the new policy, IBM states that workers who do not adhere to the return-to-office requirements will have to "separate from IBM." The company plans to use badge-in data to track office attendance and ensure compliance.

IBM's shift away from remote work has been a gradual process throughout the pandemic. Individual teams have already implemented in-person policies, and CEO Arvind Krishna has expressed his preference for office attendance in the past. In an interview with Bloomberg in May, Krishna stated that off-site workers may have limited opportunities for advancement, though he maintained that they would not be forcibly compelled to return.

Furthermore, IBM has announced plans to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to replace 7,800 jobs over the next five years while also anticipating job reductions. During the announcement of the fourth-quarter results last week, CFO James Kavanaugh revealed that the company would allocate a similar amount as last year for restructuring. This follows the elimination of 3,900 jobs in January 2023; however, Kavanaugh reassured that IBM is actively hiring as well.

IBM is not the only company pushing for a return to the office. A CEO survey conducted by The Conference Board revealed that only 4% of US CEOs and 4% of CEOs worldwide prioritize bringing employees back to the office full-time. UPS is joining this trend, announcing its abandonment of a hybrid work policy and calling corporate employees back full-time starting from March 4th.

While major companies have become stricter about office work in recent months, few have declared a complete return to the office. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy warned that employees who do not comply with the three-days-a-week in-office rule may face potential consequences. Meta (formerly Facebook) informed its employees in 2023 that attendance would be tracked for their own three-day-a-week policy, while even Zoom, the catalyst for the work-from-home era, has called its employees back to the office.

However, as full-time office returns decline, a survey conducted by EY US revealed that full-time remote work dropped from 34% in 2022 to a mere 1% in 2023. The study highlighted that senior members of companies are increasingly present in the office, while hybrid work arrangements have become firmly established.

As IBM enforces its return-to-office policy, the debate surrounding remote work and office attendance continues to evolve, leaving employees and industry observers to speculate on the future of work and its impact on productivity and employee satisfaction.