‘Strengthening our culture’ | Toyota tells staff to work in-office four days a week from September - or risk being fired

Toyota tells staff to work in-office four days a week from September - or risk being fired

Toyota has joined the wave of major US employers scaling back work-from-home flexibility, informing staff they’ll be expected back in the office four days a week from September.

First reported by Bloomberg, the automaker has sent staff a memo warning that a failure to comply with the mandate could result in “termination of employment.”

The memo said the return-to-office order is designed to improve mentoring, culture, and team effectiveness.

Toyota: More in-person work will improve efficiency

Toyota employees will be expected to attend the office Monday through Thursday each week, with the exception of four designated periods including the July 4 and Labor Day public holidays.

The requirement applies to all staff employed by Toyota Motor North America and Toyota Financial Services, regardless of seniority, except for a handful of specific roles.

Staff will continue to be allowed to work from home on Fridays. However, the memo caveated this is “subject to business needs.”

Similar to other return-to-office orders executed by firms such as Amazon and JPMorgan, the firm’s executives said more in-person work would encourage better collaboration and improve efficiency.

“A more in-person work environment will help us work efficiently and effectively together and facilitate more mentoring and growth opportunities – ultimately strengthening our culture and team effectiveness,” it said.

Speaking to Bloomberg, a company spokesperson denied that the order was designed to reduce headcount. But employees who do not meet the attendance threshold could face “termination of employment,” they confirmed.

Toyota said it met with suppliers, dealers, and other stakeholders when determining the change in policy. According to the memo, setting fixed in-office working days will help create clearer standards about when and where people are working.

The policy applies to full-time, temporary, and contingent staff.

The automaker specified that employees who previously took advantage of remote working and moved away from office locations are not exempt from the policy and, if necessary, will need to relocate to ensure office proximity.

With the policy set to come into effect on September 2, Toyota staff have several months to make the necessary arrangements or find a new role.

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Critics of return-to-office mandates argue that curbing remote work flexibility negatively impacts working parents, particularly women, and forces employees who rely on flexible working models to leave their posts.

Return-to-office wave continues into 2025

A number of major US employers increased requirements for in-office attendance in 2024, with the trend continuing into 2025.

Fellow automakers including Stellantis, Ford, and Nissan have all shifted to a three-day in-office attendance policy in recent months. Other businesses such as Amazon, JPMorgan, and AT&T have ordered staff back to the office five days a week.

Employers looking to bring staff back into the office more frequently have come up against several difficulties, including pushback from employees.

Workers protesting return-to-office orders have questioned memos from business leaders, including Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, that claimed more in-person work would improve productivity and collaboration.

In some cases, employees have openly defied return-to-office mandates, including through ‘coffee-badging,’ a trend in which workers circumvent office attendance policies by visiting the office and scanning their badge but only staying long enough for a hot beverage.

Like Toyota, firms such as Starbucks have warned employees that engaging in this behavior or failing to meet expectations for in-office work could result in disciplinary action, including termination.

In October, Publicis Media reportedly fired close to 100 US-based employees for consistently ignoring the company’s return-to-office policy.

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