IBM issues ultimatum to managers: relocate for in-office return or leave the company

A hot potato: It's not just average workers who are being forced to leave the comforts of home. IBM has given an ultimatum to its remote managers: get back into the office or a client location for at least three days per week or find another job. The company's message to those who live too far away to comply with this demand? Move closer.

IBM made its get-back-or-get-lost demand in a company-wide memo sent on January 16 that was seen by Bloomberg. The demand that managers report to a location at least three days per week is "regardless of current work location status."

The memo made it clear that no managers will be able to avoid the mandate as badge-in data will be used to assess individual presence and shared with HR.

Managers who don't live close enough to travel to an IBM facility three days per week must relocate near an office by the start of August. A person familiar with the rule said this generally means within 50 miles. There will be exceptions, but only for the likes of medical reasons and military service.

Senior Vice President John Granger wrote in the note that any managers who refuse to relocate or can't secure a position at the company that's approved for remote work must separate from IBM.

An IBM spokesperson confirmed the memo's contents to Bloomberg. "IBM is focused on providing a work environment that balances flexibility with the face-to-face interactions that make us more productive, innovative and better able to serve our clients," they said. "Consistent with that approach, we're requiring executives and people managers in the United States to be in the office at least three days per week."

Like many companies, IBM has gone back on its promise of not forcing workers back into the office. CEO Arvind Krishna said in May that it wouldn't happen, but he also warned that those who do work remotely will likely find promotions harder to come by.

Back in September, one of IBM's divisions, IBM Software, mandated that anyone living within 50 miles of an IBM office had to work at the location at least three days per week.

Many workers are so against returning to an office, even if it's for three days per week, that they would rather quit and find another job. It's been happening a lot at Amazon, which has faced huge pushback from employees over its RTO mandate.