Bolt, the Estonian rival to ride-hailing app Uber, is calling staff back to the office after its CEO decried his “disconnected” staff’s habit of working from idyllic destinations like Bali.The taxi company has partly reneged on its flexible work policy, which it believes led to staff being scattered across the globe. Bolt’s 11,000 employees will now be required to make it into the 12 days per month, equivalent to around three days per week.In an internal email to staff obtained by the Telegraph, Bolt CEO Markus Villig said the group had been too complacent in how it recruited staff, particularly around where they lived and worked.“We are too scattered, people feel disconnected, attrition is too high, and our offices lie empty.”What’s really bothering the boss of Bolt, however, is the feeling that employees are effectively taking holidays on company time.“We will stop the insanity of people working remotely from places like Bali. That is a vacation, not what we hired them to do,” he reportedly wrote.Bolt’s 11,000 employees work across all six continents. Villig reportedly called it a “disgrace” that less than half of them were in the office at least two days per week.The shift to hybrid means staff will still have some flexibility, but will need to live within travel distance to a Bolt office.Bolt’s RTO mandateGrete Kivi, Bolt’s global employer branding manager, shared in a LinkedIn post that reports of Bolt calling staff back to the office was “not that dramatic,” adding that job-hunting was a two-way street where bosses and employees both needed to find a suitable work setup. Those comments echo those of other employers, like Amazon and iPhone challenger Nothing, who have suggested staff not on board with a return to the office should seek alternative employment.“Here’s the thing. Working at Bolt is not for everyone,” Kivi wrote.“We’re fast-paced, and you’re expected to perform to the highest standard. Bolt has never been a remote-first company, and we’ve been clear about that from the start. Everyone who joins us knows this—it’s not a sudden change in policy.”A representative for Bolt didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Villig’s comments are the latest in a wave of company mandates to crack down on remote work. In September, Amazon introduced a more radical policy forcing staff to return to the office five days per week. Major banks have also led the way in getting staff into the office full-time.Forrester, a market research group, says Amazon’s push could be a landmark moment that causes CEOs of other companies to “copycat” the move.However, Foresters says that while the policy may work for companies who are keen to increase attrition, it could be a disaster for many firms keen to get workers back under their noses.“Forcing the issue is a recipe for rebellion — quiet resistance, soaring attrition, and a hit to productivity,” the group wrote.“Here’s the reality that most CEOs need to accept: Hybrid is here to stay. With 43% of workers already hybrid in 2024 and the number rising, those who resist this trend will find themselves outpaced in recruitment and talent retention.”
