- Some IBM workers were told to return to the office three days a week in 2024
- All the workers of the organization now get similar messages
- Unreasonable expectations of relocation have achieved the ‘stealth -dismissal’ the title
IBMS recently enforced policy for returns to office is disproportionately targeted at older and long -standing remote workers who are less likely to move.
According to an employee talking to RegisteredThe scheme aims to reduce the cost of requiring employees to work from specific places – or resign.
IBM is one of many who now requires the workers to be in the office more often after the pandemic induced increase in remote work, but its policies are not as tight as many of its rivals.
IBMS RTO affects disproportionately older workers
From 2024, IBM has demanded leaders, managers and various other types of employees across the United States to work from its offices at least three days a week, which requires them to move closer to one of its eight places in New York, Illinois, Texas and North Carolina.
The company is now rolling out personal work policies for all its workers.
Despite pushing the personal agenda, IBM did not offer any relocation support, such as covering expenses associated with moving to work purposes, although previous relocations (which served it ‘I have been moved’ acronym alternative importance) some support.
Talking about RTO policy, Registered‘s named source said, “This included all employees who started working from home under Covid as well as those who have worked from home for 15-plus years.”
IBM was already sued in 2024 for having discriminated against its older workers, but the company is facing similar accusations a year later as it intensifies its office work.
Workers affected by the changes refer to RTO as a stealth dismissal – the company has already cut about 5,000 jobs over at least five different rounds (traced with redundancies.fyi) in the last two years alone.
All said, IBM is not the only company accused of unfairly targeting the demographics of certain workers during its RTO calls. Other tech titans have been in similar situations, including Amazon, whose workers are among the most vocal.
Techradar Pro Have offered IBM an opportunity to share its thoughts on the policy, but the company did not respond immediately.
