Future of Work·Ford MotorSome Ford employees say they’ve been warned they could be fired for not going back to the office, report saysBy Eva RoytburgBy Eva RoytburgFellow, NewsEva RoytburgFellow, NewsEva is a fellow on Fortune's news desk.SEE FULL BIO Employees say Ford has begun sending automated attendance warnings based on badge-swipe data, flagging those not meeting the new requirements, according to Insider.
Mirel Kipioro--Getty ImagesFord Motor Co.
is cracking down on remote work, with some white-collar employees saying they’ve been warned their jobs could come to a screeching halt if they don’t start showing up to the office.
The Detroit automaker informed salaried staff in June that starting September 1, most would need to be in the office four days a week, an escalation from the three-day work weeks most people worked, according to Reuters.
The company framed the change as part of CEO Jim Farley’s broader push to make Ford a leaner, faster-moving electric-vehicle company.
Since then, employees say Ford has begun sending automated attendance warnings based on badge-swipe data, flagging those not meeting the new requirements, according to Insider.
Three current and former employees told the news website that the s threatened “discipline up to and including termination.” Two said they received those notices even though their in-office schedules had been ed with managers under previous flexible arrangements.
In a companywide meeting on September 9, r Isaac, Ford’s human-resources director for enterprise nology, said the messages were int to “change behavior” around remote work, according to a recording reviewed by BI.
He acknowledged that the system had mistakenly targeted some compliant employees, saying those ing the four-day rule “shouldn’t be worried.” Most corporate divisions have been phasing up their in-person expectations — enterprise , for example, went from 13 in-office days per quarter to three days per week in August, and now four.“We’ve asked for the communications to be fixed where they’ve missed the mark,” Isaac said, according to BI.
The shift came with logistical chaos during the August trial period, with employees describing parking shortages and overcrowded workspaces in Dearborn.
Others said the rigid schedule makes cross-time-zone collaboration harder, reducing the efficiency that more hybrid-work flexibility had given them.
The new rule comes as Ford prepares to open a 2.1-million-square-foot global headquarters in Dearborn this November, which will house 4,000 employees.
The company has framed the move as a bet on in-person collaboration to fuel innovation and performance. That argument hasn’t quelled internal frustration.
On October 2, an anonymous employee hijacked meeting-room screens across Ford’s offices with an anti-RTO test image showing CEO Jim Farley’s face crossed out and the words “(Expletive) RTO,” according to the Detroit Free Press.
The image circulated briefly on internal systems and social media before being removed.
“We’re aware of an inappriate use of Ford’s IT systems and are investigating,” spokesperson Dave Tovar told the Detroit Free Press, adding the content was up “for a short time.” Fortune Global Forum returns Oct.
26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of . Apply for an invitation.