Move Near Office Or Leave, IBM’s Strict Rule for Managers

International Business Machines (IBM) chief Arvind Krishna has sent an ultimatum to its managers who are still working remotely, directing them to shift near an office or leave the company.

All US managers of IBM have been directed to immediately report to an office or client location at least three days a week “regardless of current work location status,” according to a memo sent on Jan 16 by the company, reported Bloomberg. Badge-in data will be used to “assess individual presence”, Senior Vice President John Granger wrote in the note.

Those working remotely, other than employees with exceptions such as medical issues or military service, who don’t live close enough to commute to a facility must relocate near an IBM office by the start of August, according to the memo. It means that the managers will have to live within 80 kilometers of their respective offices.

Managers who don’t agree to relocate and are unable to secure a role that’s approved to be remote must “separate from IBM,” Granger wrote.

IBM’s CEO Arvind Krishna has long advocated the importance of in-person work. In a May 2023 interview with Bloomberg, Krishna said that promotions will be rarer for those who aren’t on-site. A November memo told employees in the infrastructure business unit to show up at company locations at least three days a week with “managers and executives expected to be in more.”

Several companies have increased return-to-office requirements over the last year. Amazon.com Inc. and AT&T Inc. have each ordered some remote workers to relocate near offices.