Unions of New York Times Employees Send Cease-and-Desist Letter Regarding Return to Office Requirement
Unions representing New York Times workers are calling for a renegotiation of the company’s remote work policies after the paper announced new tracking policies.
The New York Times Guild and the Times Tech Guild both sent cease and desist letters to management over the new policy that would see workers return to the office three days a week and have their attendance tracked by badge swipes. The unions represent a majority of NYT workers.
The guild says that there is nothing in its contract, which was reached in May, about tracking badge swipes and is demanding to renegotiate that aspect of the policy. The tech guild, which is still without a contract, says that the policy violates their status quo, the terms and conditions agreed upon when the union was ratified last year, and must be renegotiated.
The policy that the unions object to would track employees’ attendance by their badge swipes. Meaning managers could look at data from workers using their badges to enter the building and flag workers who have not fulfilled their attendance requirements.
The letters show the disconnect between management and workers that is playing out in offices around the country. Amazon recently had its own controversy over badge swipes after workers claimed the policy was invasive.
Despite stay-at-home orders being a thing of the past, remote work remains popular among U.S. workers.
Many workers, especially office workers, work in a hybrid model and businesses have struggled in the past year to entice workers back into the office.
It seems that the issue of remote work policies is becoming a hot topic among employees and management. Unions representing New York Times workers have taken a stand against the company’s new policy that requires employees to return to the office three days a week and have their attendance monitored through badge swipes. The unions argue that such tracking goes against their contracts and demand a renegotiation of this aspect of the policy. This situation highlights the ongoing disconnect between management and workers, which is not unique to the New York Times. It reflects a broader trend in offices across the country where companies are grappling with how to balance the desire for remote work with the need for employees to be physically present in the office. As remote work continues to gain popularity, businesses will have to find creative solutions to address the concerns of both employees and management.
