Earlier this week, GM communicated to its salaried employees who had previously been working from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that they are required to return to the office for at least three days a week. However, the automaker has walked back on this new back-to-work policy after receiving backlash.
According to Automotive News, GM sent a follow-up message stating that the automaker still wanted to promote “a more regular, in-person presence,” but that it would not revise its “Work Appropriately” guidelines. The message did not specify how many days that salaried workers would be expected to spend in the office rather than at home, and indicated that individual managers would decide when and where its employees would work together.
GM also said that it would not mandate certain days of the week for employees to work remotely rather than in the office, and that more information would be shared at the end of October.
“As we move to a more regular in-person work cycle, our plan is to collaboratively design the solution that best balances the needs of the enterprise with the needs of employees,” GM said in a new statement. “We’re spending the next few weeks listening to feedback and will work to incorporate it into our plans.”
The call to return to office work will bring employees back to the massive GM Renaissance Center complex located in downtown Detroit, which has been nearly empty since the start of the pandemic. Many of the building’s tenants, including restaurants, shops and office space renters have ended their relationships with the facility as a result of reduced foot traffic, leaving elements of the Renaissance Center’s future up in the air.
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Comments
Not much for leadership anymore is the enterprise? No wonder the ship is taking on water.
GM needs new leadership.
Its nice to see the employees have a little power. They cant implement something like that, they would lose half of their IT department.
Dealers should learn a lesson from this and tell GM to shove all of their mandates.
As much hating on Mary there is on gm authority I thought for sure guys would be rejoicing in the fact that some GM employees stood up to her.
Is this not why the ship is sinking, it shows in GM’s failure to produce product for there customers. To many in the upper level are not working, there all setting at home acting like they are. We have several neighbors on this program and it is very easy to see they are loafing. I am sure our business could not survive if we were not here every day, the first rule in business is you have to show up.
Exactly, everyone who “works” from home does not put the effort in that they would if they were in the main office. No one wants to go back to office because they like the screwing off they can do at home and get paid for it.
Speak for yourself. There was much more “screwing off” going on at the actual office than there is at home. Workers at the office were taking extended lunches, multiple “walks” outside throughout the day, loitering in the cafeteria talking to others, 45 minute bathroom breaks, walking around the office visiting friends and discussing their fantasy sports leagues, etc. By the time any actual work was getting done, the workday was about over.
Having a few genuine car people at the top would go a long way…
If you actually did some homework most are engineers and car people. Even Mary is not just a business major but a automotive engineer.
There is a lot more to running an automaker than just making cool cars.
Ford is in major financial trouble even selling Raptor, Mustangs and Broncos.
And yet somehow Dodge has masterfully pulled off the resurgence of the muscle car, increased name recognition ten-fold, and has re-spurred automotive enthusiasm and passion…..including Ram products.
Honestly, what is GM doing that’s anywhere near that with the exception of a narrow line of specialty Corvettes and the soon-to-be-ended Blackwing line?
Engineers aren’t the problem it’s the IT children.
Not sure if there is a real understanding on the “Work from Home” scenario, but anyone who makes a statement that people who work from home are just loafing around and not working probably doesn’t manage a team or division and probably doesn’t work from home themselves. And if they do work from home, then they are probably reflecting what their actions are. The fact is that the Work from Home scenario allows companies to hire talent from across the country and globe which increases the pool of the best talent available. These employees also tend to produce more quality work, are more loyal to the company and can find the work-life balance ALL companies tout and talk about. As with any type of employee, there will always be the exceptions, and that is normal. I know many people over my career that worked late hours in the office, but hardly got anything done, even when they looked super busy. This is now a new era, and companies will need to find the balance between in office requirements and work from home scenarios. Not every job is made for work from home (i.e. Can’t assemble a car in the factory while in your living room), so common sense will need to be used. Companies that embrace this new model will be the successful ones.
If Mary had balls, she should use the time right now doing interviews and tell those workers who do not want to come back to work thank you for your service to company, you are no longer needed.
exactly.
For highly technical and specialized positions, that isn’t a practical option.
Won’t work. Over 600,000 open positions in the IT field alone. Can’t screw with employees that have that kind of choice. That’s why Mary caved.
Yes!
For those criticizing WFH programs, you have NO idea how these programs are performing.
MANY companies report their productivity has never been higher.
They’re all just jealous they don’t get to work from home.
I don’t think those complaining have ever worked in a corporate office before. You can screw around there as much as you can at home. People either have a good work ethic or they don’t. Someone that is lazy at home isn’t going to become a rock star just because they are in the office.
This is true.
There is a lack of workers and if they draw the line GM could loose many key people.
I suspect GM just were calling people back to help the down tow Detroit economy.
The Ren center employ is saving a ton of money
Also most employees are showing greater productivity from home. I know my staff has.
If GM was doing this for GM they would have called for 5 days a week. Thisis just for the city that is going down by the bow.
My staff is all round the country now and we are getting better employees. The only staff going in generally is the marketing and creative groups that are still doing catalogs. Some accounting and top management with Human Resources.
I do all my work from America, to Europe via video now.
GM would do. Much better just selling the Ren and moving the few offices to the design center campus. But that would be a PR issue if they left downtown.
you’re just jealous because you can’t fry fries from home.