Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

Return to Office (RTO) orders are one ploy companies use to get employees to quit.

BambooHR discusses what’s frequently behind Return-to-Office Mandates.

The connection between RTO mandates and workforce downsizing is not lost on workers, many of whom consider an RTO mandate to be a layoff precursor. Vague reasoning and missing productivity metrics leave employees to assume the worst, which is only fueled by already-low employee happiness and trending anti-work content on social media. One in four (28%) remote workers fear they’ll be laid off before their in-office coworkers.

Nearly two in five (37%) managers, directors, and executives believe their organization enacted layoffs in the last year because fewer employees than they expected quit during their RTO.

And their beliefs are well-founded: One in four (25%) VP and C-suite executives and one in five (18%) HR pros admit they hoped for some voluntary turnover during an RTO, proving, in some cases, why RTO mandates are layoffs in disguise.

By using RTO mandates as a workforce reduction tactic, companies are losing talent and morale among their employees. Nearly half (45%) of the employees who have experienced RTO report significant talent loss within their organizations—talent that was highly valued and wished to be retained.

Moreover, the discontent with return to office policies is strong among employees, with more than one in four (28%) stating they would consider leaving their positions if subjected to such mandates. This level of dissatisfaction could lead to a further drain of talent, affecting not just morale but also the stability and innovation potential of the workforce.

If you do lose your job it’s increasingly harder to find a new one.

Note that Continued Unemployment Claims Jump to the Highest Level Since Nov 2021

After stabilizing for about a year, continued unemployment claims have surged in the last two months.

• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 6 was 1,867,000, an increase of 20,000 from the previous week’s revised level.

• This is the highest level for insured unemployment since November 27, 2021 when it was 1,878,000. The previous week’s level was revised down by 5,000 from 1,852,000 to 1,847,000.

• The 4-week moving average was 1,850,500, an increase of 11,500 from the previous week’s revised average.

• This is the highest level for this average since December 4, 2021 when it was 1,859,750. The previous week’s average was revised down by 1,250 from 1,840,250 to 1,839,000.

I am closely watching claims now. There will be a new report this morning.