AT&T CEO John Stankey is standing agency on the corporate’s strict in-person work insurance policies — and says workers who aren’t aligned with the route of the corporate may need to rethink their roles.
In a memo obtained by Enterprise Insider and despatched to workers final week following AT&T’s newest inside survey, Stankey acknowledged declining engagement scores and rising worker frustration amid sweeping operational adjustments. However he made clear the corporate has no plans to reverse course.
“We’ve got consciously shifted away from a few of these parts and in direction of a extra market-based tradition — centered on rewarding functionality, contribution and dedication,” Stankey wrote. “We consider that is the one approach to achieve the dynamic, technologically pushed markets the place we function.”
He known as out a small group of workers who expressed resistance to these adjustments, writing: “If a self-directed, digital, or hybrid work schedule is important so that you can handle your profession aspirations and life challenges, you should have a troublesome time aligning your priorities with these of the corporate and the tradition we intention to ascertain.”
The feedback come as AT&T continues to consolidate workers right into a restricted variety of “hub” places of work, requiring many to work in-person 5 days every week. Some staff have criticized the adjustments as disruptive or unfair, however Stankey defended the transfer as obligatory for collaboration and profession growth.
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“Our shift to hub places was a pivotal step to extra successfully obtain this objective,” he wrote. “Concentrations of workers permits the teamwork, mentorship, and visibility that, when mixed with efficiency and contribution, can higher equip you to advance your profession.”
Stankey urged workers to embrace the corporate’s evolving tradition and take private accountability for adapting.
“Decide to adjusting your personal behaviors and actions with out seeking to your proper or left (or above) to see what everyone else is doing,” he mentioned. “Please leap in and keep away from the human tendency in charge the neighbors for the issues within the neighborhood!”
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AT&T is way from alone in dealing with pushback over return-to-office (RTO) mandates. Amazon required workers to return to places of work a minimum of three days per week, solely to face inside complaints over overcrowded buildings and an absence of out there desks. And JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon dismissed employee resistance, saying complaints about RTO principally come “from the center,” not high performers.
AT&T rival Verizon additionally reportedly tried to capitalize on the corporate’s RTO coverage earlier this 12 months by recruiting AT&T workers to Verizon, touting hybrid and distant work schedules.
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Stankey additionally touched on firm efforts to enhance instruments, profession development and worker wellbeing — and burdened that whereas management performs a job, actual change begins with particular person accountability.
“Our collective success additionally will depend on every of us taking possession the place we will,” he wrote. “Slightly than ready for others to behave, I encourage everybody to share their concepts and take initiative.”
