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cover of episode Return-to-office mandates are more than "backdoor layoffs"

Return-to-office mandates are more than "backdoor layoffs"

2024/11/7
logo of podcast Decoder with Nilay Patel

Decoder with Nilay Patel
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E
Eric Yuan
创立并领导Zoom，推动远程工作革命并应对大流行挑战的企业家和技术领袖。
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Jessica Kriegel
专注于数据驱动和结果导向的工作场所文化专家，现任 Culture Partners 劳动力和劳工首席战略官。
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Luis von Ahn
领导Duolingo实现混合办公模式，促进创意和创新
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Stephan Meier
哥伦比亚商学院管理部门主席和詹姆斯·P·戈尔曼商业教授，专注于行为经济学和企业战略。
Topics
Jessica Kriegel认为，尽管混合办公模式已成为常态，但亚马逊强制员工重返办公室的举措可能预示着新的趋势，即全面重返办公室将成为2025年的职场趋势。她指出，强制重返办公室会对已经习惯远程办公的员工造成困扰，并认为公司宣称重返办公室是为了文化和协作，但实际上是为了更容易地管理和控制员工，以及变相裁员。另外，拥有强大品牌的公司更有可能强制员工返回办公室，因为他们有更多议价能力。她还认为，最终，完全远程办公将成为主流，混合办公模式实施起来较为困难。 Stephan Meier则认为混合办公模式是未来趋势，强制员工完全返回办公室的策略最终不会成功。他指出，在办公室工作有一些好处，例如团队合作和面对面互动，但也有一些不好的理由，例如控制员工。他还认为应该根据任务类型和工作环境选择合适的工作模式，而不是一刀切地要求所有员工返回办公室。 Luis von Ahn则认为面对面工作更有利于创意工作的开展。 Eric Yuan认为远程工作可以提高效率，但新员工入职和团队建设需要面对面互动。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The episode introduces the debate around return-to-office mandates, questioning whether they are more about layoffs than productivity and culture.
  • Many people experienced a shift from fully remote to a push to return to the office.
  • There are theories about what might be motivating big companies to bring everyone back.
  • Amazon recently mandated a return to the office five days a week.

Shownotes Transcript

Today, we’re talking about work. Specifically, where we work, how our expectations of working remotely were radically changed by the pandemic, and how those expectations feel like they’re on the verge of changing yet again. For many people, the pendulum has swung wildly between working fully remote and now a push to return to the office from their bosses, and there are a lot of theories about what might really be motivating big companies to try and bring everyone back.

To explain it, I caught up with two experts on the subject: Stephan Meier, a professor of business strategy at Columbia Business School, and Jessica Kriegel, the chief strategy officer at workplace culture consultancy Culture Partners. We dive into what’s been happening to the nature of work today, and whether Amazon, which just announced a major return to the office five days a week, is part of a bigger trend. 

Links:

  • Amazon is making its employees come back to the office five days a week | The Verge)

  • Amazon CEO denies 5-day office mandate is a ‘backdoor layoff’ | CNBC)

  • Bob Iger tells Disney employees they must return to the office four days a week | CNBC)

  • A quarter of bosses admit return-to-office mandates meant to make staff quit | Fortune)

  • More Americans now prefer hybrid over fully remote work, survey finds | Axios)

  • Google tells staff: stay productive and we’ll stay flexible | BI)

  • The list of major companies requiring employees to return to the office | BI)

  • Thinking Inside the Box: Why Virtual Meetings Generate Fewer Ideas | Columbia)

  • Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn wants you addicted to learning | Decoder)

  • Sundar Pichai on managing Google through the pandemic | Vergecast)

**Credits: **

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

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