A majority of AT&T workers never stopped working on location for the full work week, even during the pandemic.
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AT&T Inc. appears to be the latest blue-chip corporation to ask workers to return to the office in a big way, in some cases for five days a week.
The Dallas-based telecommunications company plans to significantly scale down hybrid work in the new year. Beginning in January, AT&T (Nyse: T) will ask the majority of staff to work on-site full-time, Business Insider reported. The in-office requirement for AT&T Technology Services workers will be rolled out across job sites beginning Jan. 6 and is expected to be complete for most teams by March 3, according to a memo to employees from AT&T Chief Technology Officer Jeremy Legg obtained by Insider.
The move comes as many large corporations curtail hybrid and remote work policies that were enacted during the pandemic. Earlier this year, Amazon.com Inc. ordered all workers to be back in office five days per week by Jan. 2, although just recently the company changed the timeline in certain cities because of a lack of office space .
An AT&T spokesperson declined to discuss the details in the Business Insider report but confirmed that the company has enough space to accommodate its Dallas-based workforce returning to the office. The spokesperson added that the company’s return-to-office policies vary based on organization, location and other factors and said there is no “universal policy” for all employees.
Like many companies, AT&T’s changes have been gradual and nuanced. A majority of AT&T workers never stopped working on location for the full work week, even during the pandemic. In July 2023, CEO John Stankey announced that managers would be required to come to the office at least three days a week. He also called workers to its nine major hubs: Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Ramon, California; Seattle, St. Louis, Washington, Middletown, New Jersey; and Bedminster, New Jersey.
So even if the latest reported policy changes are neither sudden nor universal, they represent how large employers continue to grapple with office use in the post-pandemic era. Such moves have tremendous real estate implications, and they’re being closely watched by everyone from downtown store owners to government officials wondering whether 2025 will usher in a significant change in office trends.
While some say that bringing workers back into the office full-time can mean better company culture and financial performance, others bemoan the lost flexibility that has allowed many workers to spend more time with their families or move to less expensive locations. Others wonder whether such policies are used to cull workers without traditional layoffs.
AT&T says that it’s updating its benefits programs, facilities and workplaces to better serve employees. The company is headquartered in the 37-story One AT&T Tower in downtown Dallas. It ranks as the second-largest public company in Dallas buy revenue and employs more than 149,000 companywide.