AT&T CEO enforces strict RTO: Return full-time or find another job

In a blunt message to employees, AT&T CEO John Stankey has drawn a firm line on the company's return-to-office (RTO) policy: return to the office full-time or consider leaving. The mandate, rolled out earlier this year, ends hybrid work flexibility for thousands of staff across the US and has sparked concern among employees navigating the shift.

In a detailed internal memo sent on Friday to all managers, first reported by Business Insider, Stankey acknowledged a dip in employee engagement amid the RTO enforcement — but maintained that the shift is central to AT&T’s cultural and operational transformation.

“If a self-directed, virtual, or hybrid work schedule is essential for you to manage your career aspirations and life challenges, you will have a difficult time aligning your priorities with those of the company and the culture we aim to establish,” he wrote.

RTO now mandatory: No more hybrid option

AT&T, the American telecoms giant with over 160,000 employees, had embraced hybrid work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But earlier this year, the company began phasing out remote arrangements, requiring staff to work from designated offices five days a week.

The move has been met with pushback, with employees raising concerns about logistical challenges — including insufficient desk space, parking shortages, and general disruption to established routines. However, Stankey has not backed down.

In his memo, he said the company is “midstream on a multi-year journey to build the company we want, not simply optimise the one we have,” reiterating that in-person work is necessary for collaboration, accountability, and executing large-scale transformation efforts.

“We run a dynamic, customer-facing business, tackling large-scale, challenging initiatives. If the requirements dictated by this dynamic do not align to your personal desires, you have every right to find a career opportunity that is suitable to your aspirations and needs,” he stated.

Engagement drops despite high commitment

Stankey’s comments were prompted in part by AT&T’s latest internal employee engagement survey, completed by 99,000 respondents. While 79% of employees reported feeling committed to their work, overall engagement levels have declined — something the CEO attributed to growing discomfort around the shift in work culture.

“I’m not surprised,” Stankey wrote. “The changes we are making challenge our comfort zones, and that’s difficult for anyone — especially when it’s sustained over time.”

He defended the company’s direction as necessary for staying competitive and relevant, adding that AT&T is deliberately moving away from a traditional hierarchy-driven culture to one that rewards capability, contribution, and performance.

At the heart of Stankey’s message is a broader cultural overhaul underway at AT&T. The company is shifting away from what he described as a system “over-reliant on hierarchy and tenure” to a more market-driven, performance-oriented culture. That includes revised approaches to compensation, benefits, and career growth.

“We have consciously shifted away from some of these elements and towards a more market-based culture — focused on rewarding capability, contribution, and commitment,” he wrote.

This approach mirrors broader trends in corporate America, where more companies are placing emphasis on measurable outcomes and in-person collaboration, especially in client-facing or operations-intensive sectors.

Not alone in the RTO push

AT&T is one of many major corporations tightening RTO policies in 2025. Earlier this year, Amazon, Meta, and Google all reinforced stricter in-office attendance requirements. JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs have also returned to five-day workweeks in some divisions, citing productivity and collaboration.

However, employee backlash remains a persistent challenge. At Amazon, internal message boards were flooded with negative feedback after its RTO mandate was announced. Similarly, Meta faced internal discontent when it pushed for more in-office time for engineers and product teams.

What sets Stankey’s approach apart is the clarity — and finality — of the message. While other CEOs have framed RTO as a “recommendation” or “preference,” AT&T’s directive leaves little room for negotiation.

“If you can’t align with the new ways of working, we respect that — and it may be time to move on,” Stankey’s memo effectively states.

For AT&T employees, the message is now unambiguous: show up at the office — or prepare to exit the company.