Regarding return to office policy, I hear many speculations and reasons hypothesized. Mostly by employees who don’t really know and who had no choice in it.
I would like to know is if there are any lemmings out there who have been involved in these talks.
What was discussed?
How is something like this coordinated amongst others businesses even rivals.
What are the high level factors that have gone into the decision?
Bonus points: is it even possible for employees to prevent or reverse these policies at this point?
It doesn’t need to be a ‘protected class’.
If you were hired as an accountant, and job description explains what the job entails.
The boss can’t tell you to go out front and mow the grass, and fire you if you refuse.
It’s not in your job description.
Same with remote work. If the job description said 100% remote work.
It would be the same as hiring someone in one city, and then demanding they move to another city, and firing you if you refuse.
Sure, they can let you go, but they’d be on the hook for compensation. (in most civilized places anyway)
[In the US,] Yes it does.
Yes they can.
Not compensation, but unemployment incsurance claims. If you’re let go “without cause,” you get to claim unemployment, and the business that let you go has to pay some portion of that. Unemployment insurance barely pays anything, though, so that’s not going to be a very high amount for the business.
I’ve noticed a lot of job offers say like “Other duties as required”
You are not going to outsmart the corporate lawyers.
The rich have class solidarity.