IBM Issues Its Third, 3-Day RTO Mandate
IBM, known to some employees as “I’ve Been Moved,” is once again requiring major shifts for its workforce. In April 2025, IBM announced that U.S. sales staff and all U.S. cloud employees must now work from a client site, a flagship office, or a sales hub at least three days per week. The Register first reported the story.
From our primary RTO research, this is actually IBM’s third attempt at a three-day/week RTO policy. The company started the policy in 2022, reiterated it in 2023, and did it again in 2025.
While branded internally as a “return to client” initiative for sales, the company’s broader move has been interpreted by some employees as a stealth layoff strategy.
Here’s everything you need to know about IBM’s return-to-office plan and timeline.
IBM’s Return To Office: Current Policy
- Return To Office Date: April 18, 2025
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New Sales Policy: Work at least three days per week from either a client location, a flagship office (like NYC), or a sales hub.
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New Cloud Policy: U.S.-based cloud employees must work three days per week in designated “strategic” office locations.
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Relocation Policy: Employees more than 50 miles from an assigned location may be offered relocation.
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- Location Policy: Hybrid
- Office Visit Expectations: Three days per week
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IBM’s RTO Timeline
Here are the major milestones for IBM’s return-to-office program listed from most recent to least.
You’ll notice that IBM has attempted a three-day RTO policy three times: 2022, 2023, and 2025.
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April 2025: IBM enforces/reiterates the three-day-per-week office requirement for U.S. sales and cloud teams.
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September 2023: IBM has mandated a return to the office for staff globally, telling those living within a 50-mile radius of an office to be at their desks at least three days a week.
- January 2022: IBM implemented a policy encouraging, but not mandating, a return to the office three days a week, with exemptions for “work-at-home” employees.
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September 2021: IBM announced that offices will be open on September 9, but did not specify if it had any office visit requirements.
View All Return To Office Plans For The Fortune 500
Every month, we update every Fortune 500 company’s return-to-office policy. You can download the Fortune 500 RTO spreadsheet below.
