IBM Software has issued a global directive for a prompt return to the office, stipulating that employees residing within a 50-mile (80km) radius of a Big Blue office must physically attend their workplaces for a minimum of three days each week. The aim is to foster increased, quality interpersonal interactions among the staff.

In an internal blog post published on September 5, IBM Software's Senior Vice Presidents for Product Management, Kareem Yusuf, and Products, Dinesh Nirmal, discussed the importance of "establishing the organisation's ethos" or "defining the organisation's culture" within the company.

"If we want to maintain the flexibility of working both remote and in the office, we must be better stewards of getting into the office. Starting next week, all IBM Software employees will be required to spend at least 3 days in the office each week. The decision on which days will be left to managers and individual project teams," read the blog, reported The Register.

The executives have emphasised that the implementation of the return-to-office orders will strictly adhere to the relevant local regulations. They underscored the significance of this move in nurturing the company's culture and advancing collective objectives, such as significantly increasing development output, creating successful products, and acquiring new clients, all of which are best achieved through more substantial in-person interactions. 

At each of the IBM Software locations, Software Executive Focals are being designated. These on-site staff members have the responsibility of providing robust support to employees as the company makes a concentrated effort to transition towards a more in-office work dynamic. 

"Right now, 1 in 4 of you are working in the office three days a week. By October, we want to see that number closer to 3 in 4. We appreciate your attention and support," Yusuf and Nirmal concluded their blog. 

IBM joins the ranks of numerous tech vendors who have supported remote work but are now emphasising a partial return to in-person work. Google expressed disappointment in the sparsely populated state of its offices, while Meta, despite its promotion of the metaverse concept, encouraged all staff, including engineers, to work together in person. 

Salesforce has also been advocating for office returns, citing lower productivity among remote workers as a reason for the push back to the workplace.