AT&T is ramping up its return-to-office policies, announcing that all employees will be required to work on-site five days a week starting in January. This marks a shift from the current policy, which mandates three in-office days per week.
The decision, affecting employees across all business levels, builds on a prior push to bring management back to office hubs. In its 2024 proxy statement, AT&T reported that 18,000 managers had already returned to "core" office locations.
This change reflects a reorganization of the company's office structure compared to its pre-pandemic setup. Although AT&T operates nationwide, CEO John Stankey shared with Bloomberg Radio that the company consolidated operations into nine key locations, including its Dallas headquarters, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, San Ramon (California), St. Louis, and two New Jersey offices in Middletown and Bedminster.
AT&T emphasized in its proxy statement that the consolidation and return-to-office initiative aim to "drive collaboration, innovation, and better position us for long-term success."
Employees seeking flexibility may find limited options. In discussing last year’s management return, Stankey noted that 85% of managers already lived near one of the designated offices. For the remaining 15%, Stankey suggested they would need to make choices that align with their personal circumstances.
"If they want to be part of building a great culture and environment, they’ll come along on these adjustments and changes," he stated in May 2023. "Others may decide, given the station of life they are in, that they want to move in a different direction."
AT&T, with a market cap of $164 billion, highlighted that the majority of its workforce had continued working on-site even during the pandemic, reinforcing the company’s commitment to in-person collaboration.
