AT&T’s Full-Time RTO Policy and Stance on Workplace Loyalty Stuns Employees

RTO policies are flooding the worksphere, but that’s not the only aspect of the work culture in 2025 that’s changing. AT&T’s full-time RTO policy has become a sore point for many employees, who recently made their feelings apparent in an employee feedback survey. Instead of the feedback being met with an empathetic or understanding tone, CEO John Stankey made it clear that employees could return to the office or exit for another opportunity that better aligned with their interests.

It has become increasingly apparent that the people-centric culture that once defined CEOs and their commitment to making their organization an ideal place to work no longer exists. The CEO said as much to employees in a memo, “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 explained. AT&T’s decision to shift away from workplace loyalty to a more clinical performance-and-promotion strategy is a clear indication that the workplace is changing, for better or for worse. 

AT&T Doubles Down on Full-Time RTO and a “Market-Based Culture”

Keeping with the popular trend of shifting away from a hybrid culture to bring employees back to the workplace full time, AT&T also made a dedicated push with its RTO policy months ago. Just as with other businesses, employees have not been thrilled at the shift in operations, and this was evident in the company’s employee engagement survey. While the employees still reported a 79% commitment rate to the company, the CEO noted that there was an overall drop in engagement at the organization that was natural during such a widespread overhaul of the company culture. 

The AT&T CEO set a strong message to employees in a memo, stating, “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.” The memo didn’t explicitly ask AT&T employees unsatisfied with the full-time RTO to quit immediately, but it was a message that was easily inferred. 

Stankey’s implication that employees should return to the office or exit was evident in its wording and particularly harsh as a response to an employee feedback survey that, by design, should reflect a company’s attempt to listen to the employee rather than criticize them. The response largely defeats the purpose of conducting such surveys, making it all the more evident that businesses are operating independently of employee preferences.

The AT&T Memo Shows a Corporate Shift Away from the “People”

The AT&T CEO’s message to employees did not stop at admonishing them for not keeping up with the times and the evolving needs of the business. It also went on to clearly state that loyalty was no longer a top priority for the organization. “Some of you may have started your tour with this company expecting an ’employment deal’ rooted in loyalty,” he wrote in the memo. “We have consciously shifted away from some of these elements.”

Over the years, company cultures have been built on a mutually agreed contract of “you take care of the business and we take care of you.” Some businesses have failed to deliver on their promises while others have risen to the occasion, but for the most part, organizations have long operated on the principle of treating employees well enough to secure mutual loyalty for years. The culture has been so ingrained in the messaging that job hoppers have been treated as among the worst candidates to hire into your organization, due to their inability to commit to the long haul.

For AT&T, workplace loyalty appears to be an irrelevant fad. According to Business Insider, the CEO did not beat around the bush when he explained that it was shifting away from aspects like “loyalty, tenure, and conformance with the associated compensation,” towards “a more market-based culture —focused on rewarding capability, contribution, and commitment.” Rewarding employees for performance has always been the standard, but AT&T’s market-based culture memo makes it clear that employees can no longer expect to be appreciated for their long-term commitment to the organization.

The AT&T Memo Does Acknowledge the Survey Feedback

The CEO’s message to employees did not entirely ignore employee concerns. The CEO reiterated that the “market culture” was here to stay and also indicated that the company was laying out the groundwork for what this will mean for the professional careers of its employees. The memo further explained that the company had heard employee complaints regarding the lack of infrastructure and tools to do their jobs within the workplace, and it had already begun working on expanding the relevant services for them. 

The CEO also went on to talk about the concept of personal wellbeing and what it was doing to aid in that regard. “Our decisions to maintain industry-leading healthcare, change time-off policies, augment leave structures, offer financial counseling, and enhance mental health benefits are examples of overt decisions we have made on this front. Despite rising medical costs, we intend to hold management medical contributions flat for the 2026 renewal cycle,” he explained.

While addressing these factors was a good move to reassure employees that they were not being ignored, AT&T’s full-time RTO policy and stance on workplace loyalty continue to alienate them. 

AT&T’s Full-Time RTO Policy Is Just the Start of More Such Announcements

The return of fear-based management strategies has been jarring to see, but the trend of layoffs and the regularity of ultimatums show that this old-school ethos is here to stay. The word “disruption” is also frequently thrown into the mix as a sign that a business is about to make changes its employees will not like, however, this updated approach is not exclusive to AT&T. 

Companies like Google have also dared employees to leave if they don’t feel the company direction is right for them, and Microsoft has tightened the reins on its employee performance evaluations, adding AI usage into the mix as a way to further test how much employees could adapt to its needs. While CEOs might generously indicate that “you have every right to find a career opportunity that is suitable to your aspirations and needs,” the job market is no place for an employee in 2025.

With the low prospects of finding new work in the current market, employees have no choice but to conform to the changes in the organization and smile while they do it to ensure they aren’t penalized for being misaligned with the company culture. Such fear-based tactics tend to work well in the short term, but they went out of style for good reason. Organizations will soon have to evaluate their rigid approach to employee satisfaction and consider how it could affect their performance in the long term. 

Subscribe to Technowize for more insights into the latest and greatest gadgets and wearables making their way to the market right now.