Intel has announced a change in its remote work policy that now requires workers to come into the office four days a week, rather than three. The change was announced by new Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who also revealed further changes to the company, which could see 20% of Intel’s workforce laid off.
The technology company joins the ranks of many others who are now issuing return-to-office (RTO) mandates, following the worldwide adoption of hybrid working after the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, Google loosely warned remote workers that their jobs may be impacted by layoffs, and IBM employees have been told they must come into the office at least three times per week.
Remote working, however, comes with numerous benefits, the most highly cited being employee satisfaction and increased productivity. Luckily, it doesn’t seem as if Intel is working as part of a wider trend to bring workers back into offices.
Intel Staff Now Required in Office Four Days, Up From Three
New Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has announced that employees will have to come into the office four days a week, an increase of one additional day from the company’s previous remote work policy. In his announcement on Thursday, Tan claimed that the previous mandate had been followed unevenly, and the new change will come into effect on September 1st.
When speaking about the change, Tan justified: “When we spend time together in person, it fosters more engaging and productive discussion and debate. It drives better and faster decision-making. And it strengthens our connection with colleagues.”
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According to a report by Bloomberg, an RTO mandate is not the only way Tan is aiming to change the company. It was reported that the company is planning to cut roughly 20% of their workforce, amounting to more than 21,000 employees. Intel has been no stranger to layoffs in recent years, having cut 15,000 jobs in August 2024.
Shifting Remote Work Policies Across the Tech Industry
Intel is not the first tech company to announce revised RTO mandates. Amazon took a bold step last year when it announced that corporate employees were required to work five days a week in the office, and Salesforce implemented a four-day-per week policy in October.
Most recently, Google and IBM have issued strict ultimatums to employees about returning to the office, with the latter even offering relocation fees for workers who don’t live near any of the company’s listed locations, rather than just having them work remotely.
RTO mandates have been in the news quite a bit recently, and a company can issue one for many reasons. According to CNBC, companies can recall employees back to work to make use of expensive corporate real estate, and in attempts to improve productivity and revenue if the company is enduring a rough period.
Not a Completely Bleak Picture for Remote Working
Despite big tech firms like Google, IBM and Intel taking this approach, it doesn’t seem that a RTO order is on the minds of many businesses. In our Impact of Technology on the Workplace report, we found that remote work remains an important privilege for employees and leaders alike.
It’s also worth noting that our research found that the option to work from home increases employee satisfaction. In our report, 35% of respondents also found that remote working allows for a more flexible schedule, and another 20% noted that it enhances productivity.
While it can be easy to look at businesses such as Intel and Dell and believe that RTO mandates are on the rise, our report found that 44% of businesses have not changed their remote work policy in the last year. Likewise a new report from Stanford and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta revealed that most companies also don’t intend to change their remote and hybrid policies in the next 12 months.
