Broadcom’s CEO, Hock Tan, has recently instructed employees of the recently acquired company VMWare to return to the office if they live within 50 miles of an office location. Tan believes that in-person work offers numerous benefits in terms of collaboration and company culture. However, this move has sparked concerns, as Broadcom had previously ordered some employees back to the office during the pandemic, defying stay-at-home orders.
Advocates of remote work argue that it can help close promotion gaps for underrepresented groups, while research has shown that in-person work facilitates on-the-job training and career advancement. In contrast to Broadcom’s stance, other companies like Atlassian, Dropbox, and Airbnb remain committed to remote work.
Broadcom is not the only company implementing a back-to-the-office policy. Similar decisions have been made by other companies such as Farmers Group and Amazon. Some CEOs have gone as far as offering rewards and perks to incentivize office attendance.
While Tan allows remote work in limited cases, such as sales employees meeting with clients, the integration between VMWare and Broadcom has posed challenges due to differences in corporate culture and the expectation of layoffs. Tan expressed skepticism about the concept of supporting employee resource groups but also mentioned that he was open to exploring it further.
Following the acquisition, around 1,300 VMWare employees were laid off, and the company’s president left to take on the role of CEO at another company. On the other hand, many Broadcom employees will be relocating to VMWare’s Palo Alto headquarters, which had previously embraced remote work.
In an effort to adapt to changing circumstances, Broadcom’s directive to bring employees back to the office aims to foster collaboration and company culture. However, this decision comes amid a growing debate about the benefits of remote work and its potential to address inclusion and promotion gaps. While some companies continue to embrace remote work, others are following Broadcom’s lead in mandating office attendance. The integration between VMWare and Broadcom continues to be a challenge, with layoffs and leadership changes reshaping the dynamics of both organizations. It remains to be seen how these decisions will impact the future of work at these companies.
