Broadcom is laying off 1,267 Palo Alto-based VMware workers following its acquisition of the company

Chip manufacturer Broadcom wrote the latest chapter in the long story of return-to-office tensions between bosses and employees.

After completing its $69 billion acquisition of cloud computing company VMWare, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan issued a direct order to his new employees about where they must work. “If you live within 50 miles of an office, you get your butt in here,” he told the workers of previously remote-friendly VMWare.

The comments came during a meeting Tan hosted on Tuesday after the merger between the two companies officially closed, following approval from Chinese regulators. Like many other executives, Tan cited in-person work’s benefits to collaboration and company culture. “Collaboration is important and a key part of sustaining a culture with your peers, with your colleagues,” he said.

  • DominusOfMegadeus
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    136 months ago

    ”Collaboration is important and a key part of sustaining a culture with your peers, with your colleagues,” he said.”

    ”You might be able to execute your work on time and to standard in a remote environment, but what about your colleagues?,” wrote Jake Wood, CEO of software company Groundswell, on LinkedIn this summer. “Absent your presence, leadership, mentorship—can they thrive?”

    Do they think that no one working remote talks to each other? Obviously they don’t actually think this, and this is all just a means to exert more control over their employees. I sure hope no one is falling for these “reasons” these CEOs keep spouting.