Uber rival CEO Bolt vows to crack down on remote work to stop ‘the madness of people working in Bali’

Bolt, an Estonian competitor to ride-hailing app Uber, is calling employees back to the office after its CEO criticized his “disconnected” employees’ habit of working in idyllic locations such as Bali.

The taxi company has partially abandoned its flexible working policy, which it says has left employees scattered around the world. Bolt’s 4,000 employees will now be required to be in the office 12 days a month, the equivalent of about three days a week.

In an internal email to employees received Telegraph, Bolt CEO Markus Willig said the group was too complacent in the way it recruited employees, especially in the places where they lived and worked.

“We are too spread out, people feel disconnected, the attrition rate is too high, and our offices are empty,” he said.

What really bothers Bolt’s boss, however, is the feeling that employees are actually taking time off during work hours.

“We will stop the madness of people working remotely from places like Bali. This is a vacation, not what we hired them for,” he reportedly wrote.

Villig reportedly called it a “disgrace” that less than half of his employees were in the office at least two days a week.

Going hybrid means employees will still have some flexibility, but they will have to live close to Bolt’s office.

Bolt’s RTO mandate

Grete Kiwi, Global Employer Branding Manager at Bolt, shared Post on LinkedIn that reports of Bolt calling employees back to the office were “not that dramatic”, adding that the job search was a two-way street where both bosses and employees needed to find a suitable work environment.

Her comments echo those of other employers, such as: Amazon and iPhone contender Nothingwho suggested that employees who would not be able to return to the office should seek alternative employment.

“Here’s the thing. Working at Bolt is not for everyone,” Kiwi wrote.

“We are growing rapidly and we expect you to perform at the highest level. Bolt has never been a remote-first company, and we’ve been clear about that from the start. Everyone who joins us knows this: this is not a sudden policy change.”

This was announced by a Bolt representative. Luck: “We believe that face-to-face collaboration drives innovation and productivity, and our existing policy advises employees to work from the Bolt office two to three days a week.

“From January 1, this policy will be formalized: employees will be asked to work in the Bolt office 12 days a month. We continue to listen to our colleagues and remain committed to developing a culture that values ​​inclusion and innovation, while empowering people to work flexibly and effectively.”

Willig’s comments are the latest in a wave of demands from companies to tighten remote work. In September, Amazon introduced more radical politics forcing employees to return to the office five days a week. Large banks are also leading the way in attracting full-time employees to the office.

Forrester, market research group, speaks Amazon’s push could be a landmark moment that will force executives at other companies to “emulate” this move.

However, Forrester says that while the policy may work for companies looking to increase employee churn, it could spell disaster for many firms looking to bring workers back under their belts.

“Forcing an issue is a recipe for rebellion: quiet resistance, rapid attrition, and a hit to productivity,” the group wrote.

“Here’s the reality that most leaders need to accept: the hybrid approach is here to stay. With 43% of workers already hybrid in 2024 and the number set to rise, those who buck the trend will find themselves falling behind in recruiting and retaining talent.”

This story was originally published on Fortune.com