Latest news with #returntooffice
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
California state workers push back against July 1 return to office, budget cuts
SACRAMENTO — Hundreds of state workers showed up to protest at the California State Capitol on Thursday, fighting to continue working from home and for their paychecks. Governor Gavin Newsom is mandating that state workers return to in-person work at least four days a week starting on July 1. Many state workers are concerned about how expensive it will be for them to return to in-person work, and now those costs may only be harder to deal with. "It really feels like state workers are being punished," said Haley Leguizamo, who works for the California Department of Education. The governor is proposing to cut nearly $767 million in state worker salaries to address the $12 billion state budget deficit. State workers said that means they will not be getting their 3% raises that were negotiated for the next two fiscal years. Assemblymember Josh Hoover called for an audit of what the return-to-office mandate for state workers will cost. "Why should Californians who have returned to office in their respective fields care about this? How is state workers returning to the office impacting them?" I asked. "People working in the office already will very much notice a difference on their highways when it comes to traffic congestion," Hoover responded. Hoover said it is also impacting taxpayer dollars, claiming it costs around $600 million per year to pay and maintain state office buildings that he thinks could be sold and turned into housing. "It's going to be crazy again," said Andrew Douglas, who works at La Bou. Downtown businesses like La Bou are hopeful that state workers will bring a boom, but instead, it may be a bust. "People aren't going to go and patronize those businesses because they just can't afford to," said Vincent Green, an information technology specialist for the state. State workers may also be paying more for parking, up to $200 a month in some garages. The city plans to increase its prices on some of the cheaper garages on July 1, the same day the new return-to-office mandate for state workers begins. The state's finance department gave CBS13 this statement about the budget cuts: "Closing a $12 billion shortfall requires spending restraint across state government. The budget doesn't propose any furloughs, salary cuts, or health care reductions for state workers - but it does ask them to forego a three-percent salary increase." CBS13 also reached out to the governor's office but did not hear back. In the past, Newsom has been standing firm behind his return-to-office mandate, saying that it is good for people to collaborate in person. Some state workers told CBS13 that this is all a political move. "We have proven that we can still do our jobs even though we are at home," Green said.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon tells remote-work-loving Gen Z ‘you can't learn working from your basement'
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon told young workers 'you can't learn working from your basement.' And it's not just Gen Zers that benefit from face-time in the office, the Wall Street exec also said his 5-day in office mandate will help management and push workers to innovate. Wall Street has shifted back to office times of old—in-person five days a week, with staffers scrambling for desks and crowding around water coolers. JPMorgan's CEO Jamie Dimon, who instituted a strict RTO mandate in January, said it's all critical to the careers of Gen Z. 'It is an apprenticeship system,' Dimon said in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, while adding that in-office time ensures young staffers pick up best practices from their seniors. 'You can't learn working from your basement.' Plus, while some may be less than pleased about the mandate right now, he added, 'I think our employees will be happier over time.' The CEO has been outspoken on the return-to-office debate. But Dimon also understands the appeal of logging in from home; remote work can pan out well for some companies and certain roles. Dimon is just adamant that in-person is the best thing for his business—and no one is swaying his choice. 'I gave a very detailed answer about why [work from home] doesn't work for young people, why it doesn't work for management, why it doesn't work for innovation,' Dimon said. 'I completely applaud your right to not want to go to the office every day. But you're not going to tell JPMorgan what to do.' JPMorgan declined Fortune's request for comment. In January of this year, the JPMorgan CEO brought down the RTO hammer, and ordered his more than 300,000 employees to come back into the office five days a week. The choice was met with workforce outcry; 40% had been working on a hybrid schedule of three days a week in-office at the time. So employees of the $650 billion bank launched a public petition, calling on Dimon to keep the usual work model. It garnered nearly 2,000 signatures. One month later, during a February JPMorgan town hall, the CEO had some words for the RTO backlash. Audio of the internal meeting was leaked, where the CEO criticized the petition and said there wasn't 'a god d-mn person' he could reach on Fridays. He also pointed out that employees were distracted during 'f-cking Zoom' calls. While Dimon admitted to Bloomberg that he 'emoted' during that February town hall, he holds firm that he isn't totally pigeonholed in his view. The executive pointed out that the RTO mandate didn't cause huge negative shifts; he said there was no additional attrition, and that 10% of the company's jobs, like call center gigs, are still remote. 'I'm not even against work from home—I'm against work from home [when] it doesn't work,' Dimon said. It makes sense why Gen Z is keen to log in from their coaches—as the newest cohort of workers, many started their first full-time jobs during the COVID-19 era of remote work. It's become their normal, and they're desperate to keep it. Plus, for the most part, they're happy to go into the office, just not every day. Gen Z is the most likely generation to come into the office 3 days a week—higher than millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers—they still crave balance. Almost 40% of Gen Z and millennials would take a pay cut in order to have more work flexibility, like what they had during the pandemic. Going back into the office disrupts their cushy, remote schedule; after all, more than half of the young generation have put off work to finish a show they're watching. 'While [young workers] actively seek roles offering face-to-face engagement, they reject rigid office mandates, prioritizing flexibility in when and how they work,' Lauren Winans, CEO and principal HR consultant at HR consulting firm Next Level Benefits, told Fortune. This story was originally featured on
Fast Company
09-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Uber staff revolts over return-to-office mandate
Uber is facing internal staff unrest as it attempts to implement a three-day-per-week return to office (RTO) mandate and stricter sabbatical eligibility. An all-hands meeting late last month descended into acrimony as staff flooded the online meeting chat with queries about why the mandate was being enacted. 'How is five years of service not a tenured employee? Especially when burnout is rampant in the org,' read one message that was reviewed by CNBC. Following the meeting, Nikki Krishnamurthy, Uber's chief people officer, issued a memo saying staff had 'crossed an acceptable line' during the call. It's unclear if there has been any disciplinary action to date. But the dissatisfaction displayed during the call wasn't a one-off; the general demeanor of the company's 31,100-person staff has dropped in recent months, says one Uber employee who was on the contentious call. (The staffer was granted anonymity to speak freely about the organization's morale.) 'I felt it from the performance review/promo cycle,' the staffer says. 'I heard a lot of complaints about unfair evaluations. I've been a top performer since I joined, and I got a similar evaluation. So it wasn't personal to me. But I had senior and staff friends leaving.' That general malaise and unhappiness came to a head during the heated all-hands meeting last month. The return to office was discussed on the call, and received badly by Uber staff. 'The messages were flowing crazily fast,' the anonymous staffer told Fast Company. 'The general discontent was crystal clear,' they added, but the scale and speed at which comments were being typed made it difficult to keep track. 'I even tried to download the chat logs, but they are not available to download,' the employee explained. On the call, a recording of which was obtained by CNBC, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said: 'We recognize some of these changes are going to be unpopular with folks.' Krishnamurthy deemed some of the employees' responses 'unprofessional and disrespectful.'
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Uber CEO announces series of policy changes for employees
Uber employees revolted after the company's CEO announced a series of policy changes that many American workers would consider more than generous. Chief among the changes announced at a company-wide meeting last week was a new return-to-office mandate requiring staff to be in the office at least three days a week starting in June, a tweak to the current two-day mandate. Uber also announced a revision to its sabbatical policy, saying that employees will be eligible for a month of paid leave after eights years of service, rather than the former five years. Employee backlash was immediate, with frustration flooding internal forums - leading a top executive to condemn some comments as 'disrespectful.' One forum 'essentially has been invaded by questions about the changes we've made,' CEO Dara Khosrowshahi (pictured) said at the April 29 all-hands meeting, adding that employee concerns were eventually consolidated. Many employees called the new policy tone-deaf, given Uber's recent financial success and the effectiveness of remote work over the past few years. Khosrowshahi defended the decisions, saying they were not taken lightly but were necessary for collaboration, innovation and long-term productivity. 'It's hardly a surprise that not everyone was thrilled about changes to remote work and sabbatical policies,' Uber told CNBC . 'But the job of leadership is to do what's in the best interest of our customers and shareholders.' Khosrowshahi emphasized the importance of maintaining a connection to the physical world. 'Our business also exists in the real world,' Uber Chief People Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy (pictured) added, 'on the streets of thousands of cities, and it's important we stay connected to the places we serve.' Employees must now be present on designated 'anchor days' - Tuesdays and Thursdays - and compliance will be monitored at both the team and individual levels, Krishnamurthy said. Employees voiced concerns about overcrowding at offices, citing limited meeting rooms and insufficient workspace on 'anchor days.' 'It's a challenge every anchor day to even find a place to sit with your team,' one worker commented. To address those issues, Krishnamurthy announced that Uber is expanding its San Francisco and Seattle offices by 700,000 square feet, with new meeting rooms and cafeterias under construction through 2026. The update to the sabbatical policy similarly drew groans from staffers. 'How is five years of service not a tenured employee? Especially when burnout is rampant in the org,' one highly-rated employee commented, adding they had already paid for a sabbatical trip. 'This isn't "doing the right thing" for your employees,' another worker reportedly wrote, according to the New York Post . Khosrowshahi was blunt in addressing those criticisms. 'If you're here for a sabbatical and this change causes you to change your mind, it is what it is,' he said at the meeting. 'I'm sorry about that. The reason we want you to be here is the impact on the company. The learning here. We recognize some of these changes are going to be unpopular with folks. This is a risk we decided to take.' Though the benefit still exists, the change has fueled speculation that Uber may be trying to push out long-tenured workers. 'It has nothing to do in terms of a need to drive attrition or layoffs,' Khosrowshahi responded when asked whether the move was a covert strategy to prompt voluntary exits. 'None of that is planned. The business is operating really, really well. But listen, good isn't good enough for us. We have to be great as a company.' After the meeting, Krishnamurthy issued a memo condemning some of the employee remarks made during the session, claiming they 'crossed the line into unprofessional and disrespectful.' 'That's not OK, and we will be speaking with the employees who made them,' she wrote. 'Through good times and bad, we are open with each other. Yet when we see behavior like this, it makes it harder to continue being open in the same way.' Uber's decisions reflect a broader shift in the tech industry, where several major firms have scaled back remote work. Companies including Amazon, Dell, JPMorgan Chase, IBM and Google have all pushed for a return to in-person work, citing the value of face-to-face collaboration. Google recently warned employees they could lose their jobs if they fail to comply with its three-day office attendance requirement, reported. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pampered Uber staff have huge meltdown over slight tweak to perks that are envy of most American workers
Uber employees revolted after the company's CEO announced a series of policy changes many American workers would consider more than generous. Chief among the changes announced at a company-wide meeting last week was a new return-to-office mandate requiring staff to be in the office at least three days a week starting in June, a tweak to the current two-day mandate. Uber also announced a revision to its sabbatical policy, saying that employees will be eligible for a month of paid leave after eights years of service, rather than the former five years. Employee backlash was immediate, with frustration flooding internal forums - leading a top executive to condemn some comments as 'disrespectful.' One forum 'essentially has been invaded by questions about the changes we've made,' CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said at the April 29 all-hands meeting, adding that employee concerns were eventually consolidated. Many employees called the new policy tone-deaf, given Uber's recent financial success and the effectiveness of remote work over the past few years. Khosrowshahi defended the decisions, saying they were not taken lightly but necessary for collaboration, innovation and long-term productivity. 'It's hardly a surprise that not everyone was thrilled about changes to remote work and sabbatical policies,' Uber told CNBC. 'But the job of leadership is to do what's in the best interest of our customers and shareholders.' Khosrowshahi emphasized the importance of maintaining a connection to the physical world. 'Our business also exists in the real world,' Uber Chief People Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy added, 'on the streets of thousands of cities, and it's important we stay connected to the places we serve.' Employees must now be present on designated 'anchor days' - Tuesdays and Thursdays - and compliance will be monitored at both the team and individual levels, Krishnamurthy said. Employees voiced concerns about overcrowding at offices, citing limited meeting rooms and insufficient workspace on 'anchor days.' 'It's a challenge every anchor day to even find a place to sit with your team,' one worker commented. To address those issues, Krishnamurthy announced that Uber is expanding its San Francisco and Seattle offices by 700,000 square feet, with new meeting rooms and cafeterias under construction through 2026. The update to the sabbatical policy similarly drew groans from staffers. 'How is five years of service not a tenured employee? Especially when burnout is rampant in the org,' one highly-rated employee commented, adding they had already paid for a sabbatical trip. 'This isn't "doing the right thing" for your employees,' another worker reportedly wrote, according to the New York Post. Khosrowshahi was blunt in addressing those criticisms. 'If you're here for a sabbatical and this change causes you to change your mind, it is what it is,' he said at the meeting. 'I'm sorry about that. The reason we want you to be here is the impact on the company. The learning here. We recognize some of these changes are going to be unpopular with folks. This is a risk we decided to take.' Though the benefit still exists, the change has fueled speculation that Uber may be trying to push out long-tenured workers. 'It has nothing to do in terms of a need to drive attrition or layoffs,' Khosrowshahi responded when asked whether the move was a covert strategy to prompt voluntary exits. 'None of that is planned. The business is operating really, really well. But listen, good isn't good enough for us. We have to be great as a company.' After the meeting, Krishnamurthy issued a memo condemning some of the employee remarks made during the session, claiming they 'crossed the line into unprofessional and disrespectful.' 'That's not OK, and we will be speaking with the employees who made them,' she wrote. 'Through good times and bad, we are open with each other. Yet when we see behavior like this, it makes it harder to continue being open in the same way.' Uber's decisions reflect a broader shift in the tech industry, where several major firms have scaled back remote work. Companies including Amazon, Dell, JPMorgan Chase, IBM and Google have all pushed for a return to in-person work, citing the value of face-to-face collaboration. Google recently warned employees they could lose their jobs if they fail to comply with its three-day office attendance requirement, reported.
