AT&T ordered 60,000 managers to report to one of just nine offices nationwide — drastically consolidating its footprint and leaving 9,000 workers with the choice to relocate or resign.
The US telecom giant, which currently has 350 offices across 50 states, reportedly is calling workers who have been remote since the onset of the pandemic to a handful of outposts to save money and inspire collaboration, according to Bloomberg.
One manager, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, called the move “a layoff wolf in return-to-office sheep’s clothing.”
AT&T CEO John Stankey announced the on-location assignments will take effect in July in Dallas and Atlanta, and will be implemented everywhere else by September.
He told Bloomberg that the 60,000 managers will be required to report to one of the nine designated offices at least three days per week based on their specific duties.
Of AT&T’s 300-plus hubs, two core central offices in Dallas and Atlanta, plus locations in Los Angeles; San Ramon, Calif.; Seattle; St. Louis; Washington; and Middletown and Bedminster, N.J., will be used.
People local to one of these nine offices are reportedly still eligible to be reassigned to another.
Staley estimated that among the managers affected, about 9,000 — or 15% — will face the choice of relocating or leaving the company.
For those who decide to move, relocation offers will be made on a case-by-case basis, an AT&T spokesperson told the outlet.
Meanwhile, several managers at the phone company said the number of managers having to make this decision is likely closer to 25,000 based on office reductions and task-specific assignments.
Insiders told Bloomberg that the return-to-office mandate has created a sense of unease among employees — who have worked from home since the onset of the pandemic — as details about new assignments and the process used to relocate individuals remain obscure.
An internal document sent to workers said: “Your leadership team will determine your designation and work location based on the needs of the business, work groups and collaboration partners.”
“Depending on your role, it’s possible your work location could change,” the memo added, according to Bloomberg.
The Post reached out to AT&T for comment.
AT&T has not been shy in recent years about axing employees in an effort to cut costs, and is known to periodically shed workers and dollars through an internal process known as “surplussing.”
Since 2020, AT&T has let 69,000 employees go as part of a $6 billion money-saving effort, Bloomberg reported.
This time, though, seems different. One vice president told her team that she’s “never seen us do something this drastic this quick,” Bloomberg reported.
Stankey reportedly addressed the tough choice his restructuring decision will leave for part of his workforce.
“Many will make decisions that are appropriate to their lives,” he told Bloomberg of employees either relocating to keep their job at AT&T or resigning.
He continued: “If they want to be a part of building a great culture and environment, they’ll come along on these adjustments and changes. Others may decide, given the station of life they are in, that they want to move in a different direction.”
Google has also recently cracked down on its return-to-office mandate, including tracking employee badge swipes.
Most employees are required to be in the office three days per week. The workers have been warned that poor attendance records could adversely affect staffers in their individual performance reviews.
Facebook parent Meta also ordered its workforce to be on-site at least three days per week beginning this fall — the latest move in Mark Zuckerberg’s ongoing “year of efficiency” at the tech giant that has slashed 21,000 jobs.