IBM had already been sued in 2024 for discriminating against its older workers, but the company is facing similar allegations one year later as it intensifies its office-working efforts.
Workers affected by the changes are referring to the RTO as a stealth layoff – the company has already cut around 5,000 jobs across at least five different rounds (tracked by layoffs.fyi) in the past two years alone.
IBM is one of many now mandating that workers be in the office more frequently after the pandemic-induced rise in remote working, but its policies aren’t as tight as many of its rivals.
Despite pushing the in-person agenda, IBM did not offer any relocation support, such as covering expenses associated with moving for work purposes, even though previous relocations (which earned it the 'I've Been Moved' acronym alternative meaning) did come with some support.
Speaking about the RTO policy, The Register’s unnamed source said: “This included all employees who started working from home during COVID as well as those who have been working from home for 15-plus years.”.
