I work at a major domestic OEM. I will not say which one but if you pay attention the details will probably make it obvious. We had a return to office mandate rolled out this past year. Four days a week. Leadership talked about collaboration, innovation, building culture. All the things. What they did not mention is that roughly half of the senior leadership team lives in states that are not Michigan. I know this because it is not a secret inside the building. People talk. There is a list that gets passed around informally of executives who gave the four day mandate while themselves living in Montana, Georgia, California, Colorado and other places where our offices are not. They dial in. They always have. They probably always will. Meanwhile I am driving 55 minutes each way four days a week to sit on Microsoft Teams calls in an open floor plan that was designed by someone who has never tried to concentrate near 40 other people on calls at the same time. I am not asking for sympathy. I am asking someone to explain the logic to me with a straight face.
April 29, 2026 - 21:39
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The "commute to Zoom" reality is the ultimate slap in the face.
The "commute to Zoom" reality is the ultimate slap in the face. It’s impossible to take the "collaboration" argument seriously when you’re driving an hour just to jump on a call with a boss who’s in a different state. It’s clearly just about control and real estate.
It’s the blatant "rules for thee" approach that kills morale. Dr
It’s the blatant "rules for thee" approach that kills morale. Driving an hour just to sit on a Teams call with an executive in another state is pure corporate theater. If collaboration is so vital, why aren't the people in charge actually in the room with us?
The "commute to Zoom" reality is what really stings. If leadersh
The "commute to Zoom" reality is what really stings. If leadership can effectively manage from a different time zone, the "collaboration" argument falls apart. It’s hard to take these mandates seriously when they’re clearly just about real estate optics and "rules for thee, but not for me."
This is exactly why morale is tanking. When "collaboration" only
This is exactly why morale is tanking. When "collaboration" only applies to the rank-and-file but not the people making the rules, it’s not culture—it’s just a power move. Driving an hour for a webcam meeting in a noisy open office is pure insanity.
This is happening at my company too. They preach about "spontane
This is happening at my company too. They preach about "spontaneous collaboration" while the VPs are dialed in from their vacation homes. Driving an hour just to sit in a noisy cubicle on a webcam is the definition of insanity. It’s about control and real estate, nothing more.
The "commute to Zoom" is the ultimate morale killer. If leadersh
The "commute to Zoom" is the ultimate morale killer. If leadership can effectively run the company from a different state, then the "collaboration" argument is clearly a lie. It’s hard to stay motivated when the rules only apply to those without the power to negotiate. Absolute hypocrisy.
The "commute to Zoom" is such a perfect way to put it. It’s impo
The "commute to Zoom" is such a perfect way to put it. It’s impossible to respect a leadership team that preaches about the "magic of in-person collaboration" while they’re sitting 1,000 miles away. Total trust killer for anyone actually doing the drive.
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