Yeah, you're not imagining it. A lot of remote folks seem to be the first to go—especially if they’re not near HQ. Feels less like a coincidence and more like a quiet RTO pressure tactic. No official policy, but the pattern’s definitely there.
same here. I was remote and top performer. still got cut. meanwhile someone on-site with half my output is still around. make it make sense
they can’t say remote bad outright, so they just start trimming the edges and pretend it’s all about performance or alignment or whatever
my manager lowkey hinted at this a few months ago… like “proximity to leadership is becoming more important.” which is just code for “if we can’t see you, you’re disposable”
it’s 100% a quiet shift. companies don’t wanna deal with the PR mess of a forced RTO, so they’re just “restructuring” remote people out instead 💀
Not trying to start some wild theory but I’ve been watching layoffs hit across multiple companies and there’s a weird trend I can’t unsee. Almost every person I know who’s gotten laid off recently? They were fully remote. Meanwhile, a lot of the folks still left standing are hybrid or in-office.
It’s making me wonder if this is part of some quiet shift. Like companies can’t legally force everyone back, so they’re just laying off remote workers first. Maybe to pressure people back in. Maybe just because they think remote folks are easier to let go.
I know it’s not everywhere, but it’s enough to make me nervous. I'm remote too and feeling like I have a target on my back. Is anyone else seeing this? Or hearing the same thing inside their company?