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Ford has issued warnings to hybrid employees who fail to check in for its new four-day office requirement, with some saying they’ve been told their jobs are at risk.
In June, the automaker informed staff they would need to return to the office four days a week from September 1, part of its wider plan to boost collaboration and accelerate its transformation into a leader in affordable electric vehicles.
Since the announcement, employees have reported receiving automated warnings that cite low office attendance. Some say they’ve been threatened with discipline or termination despite meeting requirements approved by their managers.
A Ford spokesperson said the company had made “every effort” to ensure employees understood the policy and had time to adjust schedules. “We have done everything we can to make sure our employees understand the in-office policy,” they said.
Warnings spark confusion
During a September 9 all-hands meeting for Ford’s Enterprise Technology division, HR director Homer Isaac told staff the attendance warnings were intended to prompt a “change of behavior” around remote work.
He acknowledged issues with the email system, saying that some workers who had been “doing the things that you were supposed to” had been “caught up in a lot of that noise.”
Isaac explained that the company had been phasing in return to office expectations. “Most of the company went back to three days a week back in the fourth quarter of last year,” he said. “Enterprise Technology had 13 days a quarter, and then progressed in August to three days a week, and now four days a week, which is the official policy in September.”
He added that earlier warning letters were issued “based on a window where our standard wasn’t the same as everybody else’s,” and confirmed the company was working to update those communications.
Hybrid frustrations grow
Some staff say the shift has eroded flexibility and morale. “We need to work across time zones, and the new policy makes that impossible,” said one former employee. “People are working to the rule and are no longer willing to put in extra time outside normal hours. Flexibility is a two-way street.”
Another employee said they were complying with the new schedule but continued to receive warnings. “I’m tired and exhausted. I just want to do my job and help the company, but upper management is constantly making that harder to do, and then telling me I’m the problem,” they said.
The rollout has also faced logistical hurdles. During an August trial run at Ford’s Dearborn site, employees reported overcrowding and parking shortages, with police called after illegal parking. The company said those issues have since been addressed.
Ford plans to open a new 2.1 million-square-foot headquarters in Dearborn this November, housing up to 4,000 employees.
Last week, frustrations surfaced publicly when meeting room screens at the site displayed a crossed-out image of CEO Jim Farley and an anti-return-to-office message.
