Back to the offices: Ford ends hybrid work schedule experiment
The era of remote working is coming to an end. Ford has made it mandatory for its office workers to go to the office four days a week.
Here's What We Know
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the working world upside down. Millions of people were suddenly at home in front of their computers. When the situation stabilised, many companies, including Ford, introduced a hybrid schedule - part time in the office, part time at home. But now the auto giant has decided: no more experiments.
From 1 September, Ford employees will be required to come to the office four days a week instead of the current three. The company has been gradually tightening the requirements since April 2022, when it first introduced the hybrid format.
"Many of our employees are already in the office three or more days a week," explained company spokesperson Ian Thibodeau. - We believe that working together every day will help Ford become a more profitable and dynamic company faster.
The new rules will affect most Ford office workers around the world. The company is not disclosing the exact number of people, but we're talking about thousands of employees. They were notified of the changes on Wednesday.
The return to offices comes amid challenges for Ford. The company is fighting President Trump's tariff policy, which has already led to higher prices for cars made in Mexico.
The numbers speak for themselves: in the first quarter, Ford posted $471 million in net income. That's down nearly 64% from a year ago. Because of the uncertainty with tariffs, the company even refused to give forecasts for 2025.
Ford is not alone in its decisions. In March, the Stellantis concern also ordered employees to go to offices for 3-5 days a week.
Source: Reuters
