100% a layoff push. This will be one of the most popular strategies moving forward, because for the c-suite it achieves two things: reduction in headcount before officially announcing the need for layoffs (and potentially skipping them entirely if enough people jump), and a shift back to the office.
I’d argue that the shift back to the office will make it difficult for them to attract talent if/when they end up understaffed, but asking a corpo to think more than one level ahead is probably impossible.
They also don’t have to pay severance/ unemployment benefits if you leave voluntarily
This is why it’s so important to have them fire you. Just say no but keep working.
Could you imagine…
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AI company prohibits use of AI for software development and internal reports: “We can’t really trust the outputs”
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Electric car company refuses to install charging stations in employee parking lot, CEO claims e-vehicles “aren’t really a good long-term investment anyway”
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Founder of meat alternative company states product “honestly doesn’t taste that good,” pivots to factory farming
Hopefully none of those end up being (or already were) real headlines. But seriously, I wonder if this will cause a decline in the quality of the product Zoom puts out. If they don’t buy into the vision of remote work, are they really going to design the best tools for remote working?
Feels like the same falacy that Skype had.
Zoom has a product. I hate it, but others like it. They thus have a niche consumer group that sees past their flaws and still likes their product. Microsoft js giving away teams with office 365. Which means people are literally paying for a product they don’t need, because like like it so much.
You don’t have to innovate much, you already have consumers that will still buy your product. Just wrap your shitty updates and security patches with a pretty bow and you’ll be fine.
Even in a conventional office environment video conferencing tools are still useful for company wide webinars or meeting with people in separate offices/locations.
Fair point. But I do wonder if you end up with different products if you approach it from the standpoint of remote work vs hosting webinars vs inter-office communication.
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And it is a very simple lie
Zoom exploded at the beginning of the pandemic, I’m certain that sales now or not only slowing up, but likely losing customers as some companies go back to the office
Now they have more staff than they need. Laying people off is unpopular, so you put people into a bad situation, and hope that they quit.
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Our company has only benefited from WfH. The cliques and politics and infighting of the office are nowhere to be found now that everyone only ever interacts with each other for work stuff, and when it’s not work stuff and it’s in real life, it’s something fun like a party or whatever. It’s so much better. Everyone is so much nicer to each other.
Same with my company. Less drama. Record profits.
