Return to Office - 2003
A quick post on my own story on going through a “return” to office mandate - 22 years ago.
“Return” to office mandates - 2003 edition
In 2003, I was working remotely for a job that hired me in 2000 to be remote. My employer now wanted to centralize the team as part of a larger reorg.
They made it clear that there eventually would be an ending to my role if I didn’t move but they were giving me plenty of notice. On the other hand, if I accepted the move, it meant I’d be moving to a lower cost of living area without an adjustment in salary - effectively giving me a raise. My employer paid all of my moving costs and gave me the time off that I needed to make the move. We agreed to a time frame that included waiting for me to finish my MS at Pace. Finishing my MS wasn’t even that much of a factor in that timeframe as others from the team waited several months longer before moving. Back then, moving for your job was tax deductible, so even if your employer didn’t pay for it, you could at least get some back on your tax return.
A few years later, they paid to move me again. This time, with the move to the Bay Area, I got an adjustment to cover the cost-of-living difference.
And that was all the norm for a company of any size that was asking you to make a shift like that.
How many people getting RTO’ed today when they never were in the office they are expected to return to get any compensation for it? Yeah, don’t answer that.