GM walks back plan to return salaried workers to the office

If you’re sitting at home reading this on a short break from your remote job, pour out a little coffee for the confusion that salaried employees at General Motors are enduring. Last week executives at the Detroit auto giant dropped an unexpected announcement that it wanted to see workers in the office at least three days a week. Yesterday, management backed down from that claim, saying it would not change its “work appropriately” framework before 2023.

As Automotive News reported, GM implemented the framework in 2021, which empowers managers and employees to determine the best arrangements for both parties. Management’s decision to recall people to the office was an about-face from that policy and drew immediate backlash from employees.

Some vented on internal message boards, with one saying the company was doomed. Others complained that GM was already pushing people out with low pay, saying that the policy change would be the last straw for many. Though the decision was quickly walked back, and the company’s website still touts the work appropriately philosophy. people caught in the middle of GM’s tide changes say that the automaker will have trouble retaining young talent.

Company executives, including CEO Mary Barra, apologized for the timing of the original notice, saying that it was “unfortunate.” Management said it felt the time was right because rumors of changes to the “work appropriately” policy had already begun to spread.

While it’s impossible for factory workers to build vehicles from home, many automakers have realized that a significant chunk of their workforces can be remote without any appreciable decrease in output or efficiency. Ford implemented a similar policy earlier this year and discovered that bringing people back to the office even a few days a week can be challenging, so GM’s policies will likely evolve after implementation.