Return-to-office mandates are more than "backdoor layoffs"

294.594 - 312.406 Nilay Patel

But fast forward a few years after the pandemic lockdowns lifted, and a lot of companies were really yearning for a return to normal. In quick succession, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft all announced that employees had to stop moving around, settle in a big city with a local office, and be at their desks for something like three days a week, with a lot of flexibility and exceptions.