‘Don’t Mess With Us’: WebMD Parent Company Demands Return to Office in Bizarre Video::“I’ve seen better acting by hostages in direct to DVD movies,” one anonymous worker wrote about the video.

  • Wermhatswormhat@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m so tired of businesses claiming that the only way for a company to be successful is if everyone is in person for the dear dear meetings. We all know exactly what this is about. 1. It’s more dofficult to micromanage employees when a manger can’t constantly observe them, and 2. All the giant real estate investments companies have made is now coming due and they cant fill up their buildings fast enough to get those tax breaks. Why the hell else are they “tracking” people in the office. Meanwhile senior leadership can come and go whenever they see fit. It’s control. Plain and simple.

    • czardestructo@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      My company had a badge in/badge out procedure, badge out was new after covid. No one actually badged out. They have since installed security guards at all exits and they will chase you out the door if you forget to badge out.

    • trebuchet@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      All the giant real estate investments companies have made is now coming due and they cant fill up their buildings fast enough to get those tax breaks

      What are these tax breaks for filling up buildings?

      • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        They don’t exist. This made up tale about commercial real estate driving RTO policies has been around since early 2021 when things started opening back up on larger scales. It’s a fiction that just won’t die.

  • thesystemisdown@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    As a consumer, I will now forever remember that WebMD’s C Suite is most interested in “crushing their competition” and being heavy handed with their employees. I once thought that they were concerned about the betterment of societal health. This is how you lose your most performant employees.

    I can’t believe they published this to a publically available platform like Vimeo. Did they already lose their Marketing executive?

  • ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Yeah this is bullshit. Just middle and senior management trying to justify their jobs and all the expenses they’ve made on office real estate. I’ve worked 100% from home for 3 years now, and not only is my productivity much higher, but the team dynamic is better and the worker output overall is better too.

    I get some people do better face to face with colleagues, and are happier and more productive. And to those people I say: Go for it! Go into the office and be at your best!

    But companies should not force the rest of us to piss time and money away commuting for zero gain and just extra frustration and unhappiness.

  • MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    People who haven’t come in to the office yet do it for a reason. They like it. They are happier. Happier employees are better employees.

    They get more sleep so they are more alert or have more time for hobbies and recreation. They don’t have to spend as much on gas or childcare. They don’t use the office’s electricity, water, facilities, coffee/snacks.

    Make it a choice. For the betterment of humanity and the planet.

    When someone makes videos like this, you don’t get the best people to come work for your company, you get the most desperate.

    But then again, maybe that’s what they want. Idiots.

    • MisterChief@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Interesting. I hadn’t seen that. Dude looked like he was on some kind of upper but the supercut didn’t do him any favors.

  • aubeynarf@lemmynsfw.com
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    1 year ago

    All of their tech job openings are in India or Vietnam. I’d have assumed a major US health data handler would be developing onshore!

  • Someonelemmy@lemmynsfw.com
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    1 year ago

    "Internet Brands did not respond to a request for comment, except to say that people were busy with meetings. "

    Well there’s your problem… Probably having meetings about how they need more meetings.

  • TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Bullshit to the "We are more productive when together " line.

    No, they are not. Commutes eat into productivity big time. It would take my wife sometimes 2+ hours to get into work in Boston. Now, she puts the kids onto the bus and logs in. Last year, they even said they were the most productive they’ve been in the companies history (200 plus years, mind you).

    Now it’s “We need to be in person to be more productive” bullshit. These assholes sunk too much money into corporate real estate.

  • frezik@midwest.social
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    1 year ago

    Is there a web site out there that can help me determine what kind of cancer that video gave me?

  • Noedel@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “We’re not asking we’re informing” lollll

    Having said that… People working from home has been the biggest frustration in my work for the past three years. I specifically picked a company where people like to come in, and are required to for at least three days. I want to work with people, not anonymous voices with cameras switched off not responding to calls and messages (I’m sure they’re all hard at work lmao)

    • unmagical@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Incidentally you’re one of the reasons the majority of workers don’t want to return to the office.

    • Wermhatswormhat@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’ll say this. What works for you doesn’t always work for everyone else, and I feel like that’s kind of the point. The CEO/CFO cares more about bringing people back to the office than they do about their employees. I hear you, it’s healthy to interact with people, and If that’s what you need awesome. But a lot of other people don’t feel that same way. I think it’s going to take tolerance on both sides for this paradigm shift to be a success.