GM requiring salaried workers return to office starting in January
General Motors says starting next month, hybrid employees need to be in office Tuesday through Thursday
In a speech in San Diego on Friday, President Biden said General Motors committed to going 'all electric by 3035.'
General Motors promises to provide tens of thousands of salaried employees with "more clarity" on the company's three-day-a-week return to office policy next month.
"Hybrid employees need to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday in order to meet critical business needs and retain company culture," a GM spokesperson said in an email to FOX Business on Wednesday.
The spokesperson added that the company will release more information to its workers on Jan. 8.
The number of workers impacted will be 43,000, according to FOX 2 Detroit. The station learned of the new requirement from an email sent by CEO Mary Barra to employees earlier this week.
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Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors Co., sent out an email to employees about a return-to-work policy taking effect in early 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File / Getty Images)
The Detroit News says the email details the return-to-work policy by requiring workers within 50 miles of an assigned office location to return to their desks in-person.
"Senior leaders will continue to have the flexibility to determine if a team needs to be in the office more frequently," Barra wrote in the memo, according to the newspaper.
Companies nationwide allowed workers to work remotely, most often from home, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are now figuring out how to get people back into offices, while workers seek out remote work jobs and look to avoid commutes.
"We believe the benefits of in-person collaboration and mentorship lead to a stronger, more innovative culture and higher performance," Barra wrote. "The pace of change is faster than ever, and we simply must do our best work."
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GM has faced employee pushback from employees on return-to-work previously. (Reuters/Rebecca Cook/File / Reuters Photos)
The move is expected to help the automaker sell more electric vehicles. The company reportedly had issues launching its electric vehicle line due to previous battery production problems.
GM has faced employee pushback from employees on return-to-work previously.
In November, the automaker announced a $10 billion accelerated share repurchase program, with plans to increase its common stock dividend by 33% beginning in January. GM also reinstated its full-year 2023 earnings guidance once the labor strikes ended.
GM announced that full-time office employees who have been working from home in recent years must return to the office next month three times per week. (iStock / iStock)
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GM said it expected full-year 2023 capital spending between $11 billion and $11.5 billion, powered by the re-timing of select programs and capital-efficient investments.
The company also said there would be adjusted automotive free cash flow between $10 billion and $11.5 billion, compared to the previous outlook of just $7 billion to $9 billion.
FOX Business' Joe Toppe contributed to this report.