I heard a few companies during the lockdown mandated web cams constantly on during work hours, ie. constant video chat with your teammates. I don't think it was the norm though.
Isn't that the name of the game? Much like using administrative powers over retirement funds to implement share voting power and implement management changes at corporations such as ending work from home.
Prior to Covid, there were already remote companies disrupting more traditional firms in areas like IT recruitment. The money was huge. Adapt or be left behind, this is an economy where if you are really good at something in demand the internet can accelerate it into a very profitable outcomes. I did a lot of head office jobs in the past and there were always people who did very little but just put in the appearance of competency and rubbing the right shoes in the corp. Some seemed to do well doing so but perhaps some of their employers struggled eventually with that kind of culture.
I'm not at all convinced that is the name of the game, but explaining why would be long and take us through human nature, nation building, behaviorism and many other tangents that I'm not sure is worth delving into.
"Tech giant Amazon is facing an exodus — with three in four of its corporate staff members threatening to walk out since the CEO of Amazon told employees the working from home era is over." "Amazon hiring managers saw candidates drop out of ongoing job interviews in response to the upcoming loss of remote work." https://www.news.com.au/finance/wor...l/news-story/a1509c0029171754245aeb0cb1a6e5f4
Meh.. . Don't think many will quit. Amazon drives employees very hard, but they pay very well. A 20 year commitment leads to comfy retirement, if one's health can take it. The issue is more complicated for those hired remotely from the start. I can see why they'd look for another job if the distance is ridiculous or forces them to relocate. But if you live in the middle of nowhere thinking you got it made getting an inflated big city job while living in a much cheaper countryside... Good luck!
They'll lose their best and brightest. Amazon have to start getting more contractors from the likes of Infosys, TATA and Wipro.
The reason corporations will push return to the office has nothing to do with productivity, teaming or any other business factor. It is all about most executives being narcissists and wanting to have control by seeing the "happy, smiling faces" of their minions in the office. Bottom line this is why RTO is being pushed in corporate America.
The thing is if you are talented in IT you can do your job in 2 hours a day (or less), compared to what takes the average employee 8 hours a day. Typically I found companies will only pay the best about 20% more than the average (if that). Even though such people might be worth 5x or even 10x more than the average to the company. So if that applies to you then working from home you can do 2 or 3 hours a day and still produce more than average employees. Companies will want to prevent that. They want to their most talented to work 10 hours+ a day. Steve jobs went even further said the best are 50x to 100x better than average. I have worked in IT for 30 years, the best I came across was a 6x developer, some one who was 6x times more productive than the average. Never met a 10x developer, but I'm sure they exist.
That's what DEI policies did. But the cats out of the bag now. There is no going back. The damage done is irreversible.