The return to office scam: Why your boss wants control, not productivity 😫

For years, companies have told us that work is about results. That output matters more than where you work. But now? They’re flipping the script. Suddenly, physically being in an office is a “performance metric.”

Let’s be clear: this is not about collaboration. This is not about productivity. This is about control.

The Real Reasons Behind Forced RTO (Return to Office)

✔ Executives are addicted to control. They hate that workers gained autonomy during the pandemic. This is their revenge.
✔ They don’t trust employees. If they did, they wouldn’t be tracking badge swipes and keystrokes.
✔ They need excuses for layoffs. Instead of paying severance, they push people out through “non-compliance.”
✔ They overpaid for office space. And now they need butts in seats to justify the waste.

It’s not a coincidence that RTO mandates are rising while companies are cutting costs and laying people off.

RTO as a Layoff in Disguise

Big companies don’t want the bad press of layoffs. Instead, they:
🔻 Make RTO mandatory
🔻 Track badge swipes and attendance
🔻 Start disciplining and firing “non-compliant” employees

Boom. Fewer employees, no severance, no layoff headlines.

“Office Attendance as a Performance Metric” is Bullshit

Since when did showing up matter more than actual performance? Imagine telling:

• A salesperson who crushed their quota: “Sorry, your numbers were great, but you weren’t in the office enough. No bonus for you.”
• A software engineer who fixed a major bug remotely: “Yeah, but were you at your desk? That’s what really matters.”

And then there are cases like this:
One of my friends lives in Scotland. He asked for an exemption from mandatory office attendance because, obviously, traveling from Scotland to London twice a week is absurd.

Guess what? They denied him.

So now, he has to waste hours of his life and hundreds of pounds a month just to sit in a random office in London for two pointless days.

That’s not about productivity. That’s not about collaboration. That’s corporate power tripping at its finest.

The Real Religion of Corporate America? Control.

Remember that line from Heretic? “The only true religion is control.”

That’s exactly what this is.
It’s not about collaboration.
It’s not about productivity.
It’s about making sure you know who’s in charge.

The corporate elite don’t care if your work is excellent.
They care that you sit at your desk, comply, and submit.

The Biggest Losers in This System?

According to research, the most likely to quit over RTO mandates are:
✓ High performers (because they can find better jobs elsewhere)
✓ Women (who are disproportionately expected to handle childcare)
✓ Millennials & Gen Z (who prioritize flexibility)
✓ Disabled employees (who may need accommodations to work remotely)

Companies say they want “top talent” but are actively pushing them away with these policies.

What Happens Next?

✓ Best workers leave
✓ Mediocre workers stay and clock-watch
✓ Morale tanks
✓ Productivity drops

Meanwhile, the C-suite pats itself on the back for “reasserting authority.”

This isn’t about work—it’s about power. And history will not be kind to these desperate, outdated control freaks.