Good morning!
One worker stops by the office fridge to stock up on snacks before leaving work. Another has stopped clocking out during her lunch break. And a third says that as soon as a manager leaves the office early, she and her coworkers follow suit.
These employees are engaging in revenge RTO—a phenomenon in which workers abide by the broad outlines of return-to-office mandates, but take small liberties when they can. That can mean things like grabbing a few extra gatorade, or leaving for an exercise class midday.
“If the shareholders are taking my wages, at the very least, I’m going to take home three Gatorades and a couple Uncrustables,” said one Chicago-based worker, who prefers to remain anonymous.
But while these tiny rebellions might drive bosses crazy, experts I spoke with say they should hold off on cracking down. Revenge RTO can actually be a sign that there are bigger problems at work that business leaders need to address, like mandates that have been poorly communicated, executed with little thought for worker well being, and presented without any data to back up their reasoning.
“When employees feel that something is unfair, they act to make it fair,” Peter Cappelli, professor of management and director of the Center for Human Resources at UPenn’s Wharton Business School, told me. “That reflects poorly on the leadership, down to the manager.”
You can read more about revenge RTO, and what it means for HR leaders, here.
Sara Braun
[email protected]
Around the Table
A round-up of the most important HR headlines.
A new executive order aimed at changing the rules around disparate-impact liability could weaken discrimination protections for workers. HR Brew
An expert on the federal workforce says that DOGE’s efforts to cut funds from the government could end up costing citizens billions. New York Times
With the government now cracking down on student loan payments, many young high school graduates are reconsidering whether the four-year degree is worth it. Washington Post
Watercooler
Everything you need to know from Coins2Day .
Inside the meeting. Amidst protests of Target over the company’s DEI strategy, the retail giant’s CEO met with Black leaders to figure out a way forward. —Lila MacLellan
Burnout. It’s not a secret that managers are struggling right now, but two types of leaders specifically are more likely to face it than others, a new report finds. —Sara Braun
Getting through tough times. When Google CEO Sundar Pichai is overwhelmed, he reminds himself that most decisions are inconsequential. —Emma Burleigh
