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Comment by leosanchez | Hacker News Reader

What if everyone has mandatory RTO ?

Workers won't have any other choice.

There were remote jobs pre-pandemic. The pandemic showed many companies that remote can work and now gives them an advantage in hiring. Some companies will force RTO, but they'll have to pay for that privilege.

I've always joked that I like solving problems, I like coding, and I like computers. I do that mostly for 'free' (it's a play on an NFL player who joked he gets paid for Tues. through Sat. Sundays he does for free). What I get paid for is all the other BS I have deal with, which can be significant. Going to an office used to cost $ and now it'll cost $$$. Fill in the numbers for yourself.

Where I think people will struggle is they want to work wherever, while also having a maximal career trajectory and making maximal salary. IMO, that's always been a challenge and remote/RTO has magnified that choice.

> What if everyone has mandatory RTO

if each employer manages to cartel, then yes, employees will be forced to RTO.

However, as soon as one company gives the WFH perk, they'll get the cream of the crop of employees, and therefore, out compete the remaining companies that have to hire the 2nd best.

SO in the end, workers will have choice.

> However, as soon as one company gives the WFH perk, they'll get the cream of the crop of employees, and therefore, out compete the remaining companies that have to hire the 2nd best.

> SO in the end, workers will have choice.

This assumes that hiring the absolute 1st tier employees gives the respective company a huge economic advantage.

Let me put it this way: in my professional experience lots of companies have no idea how to make use of the potential of excellent employees. So I guess the economic advantage that companies get from hiring the cream of the crop is not that big; thus the leverage that you claim that workers have is, I think, barely given.

I'm curious as to whether you believe that's a positive or a negative.

I don't think mandatory RTO is a good thing. I am talking mandatory RTO being enforced across multiple companies. It almost feels like a co-ordinated effort.

It is mostly herd mentality. A lot of senior management are clueless and will copy what the big players are doing. Like lemmings, they will all crash off the same cliff together.

Since it is an employers market right now, it is something companies can afford. However, I suspect they will be complaining in a few years they can't get the talent.

Thanks, you've summarized my thoughts perfectly.

Can speak from personal experience: This seems true. I observed management following trends (both technology and HR) from the valley.

One manager even said (while roaming the empty hallways on a a day where not many teams have their team-office-day and also during lunch time):

"People should come back to the office. I've visited facebook (sic) not long ago and there were so many people at their desks, being busy working. Such an inspiring environment"

This is the level of competence we have to deal with.

edit: Oh I forgot to add: They explicitly don't seem to follow the trends of paying salaries in the ranges of hundreds of thousands of dollars or making offices attractive like providing free food/snacks and other amenities.

Then I will get all the top remote workers in my team, excellent.

There were remote companies before COVID and there will be remote companies after everyone RTO.

It's just that you trade off other things, whether pay or interesting work. Culture was generally ok in remote places, which makes sense considering they already picked remote working.

You say that...I fear that myself. But it's like the prisoners dilemma I think...if that happens, then some places will indeed allow work from home and snatch those high-performers just off the market.

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