The recent announcement has cast a dark shadow over Sage. People used to rave about working here, but the majority now feel a very different vibe. The 'trust', 'human', and 'do the right thing' values all seem to have been abandoned over the last couple of years, and the recent announcement seems to have shown a different side of Sage that some people didn't know existed. People in South Africa are expected to travel hours more on a dangerous highway to abide by the new mandatory 3-days in the office rule (because Sage closed the office that they originally attended). People who have built their working life around their personal responsibilities, like childcare, pet care, or wellbeing initiatives, are now having to adjust their lives or look for new employment.
That's not to mention the lies. The announcement was based on our feedback, but it seems clear that no one was specifically asked about working preferences. A lot of colleagues were already disgruntled with 2-days in the office, so this was not a decision based on the majority of employees. The other lie is the reason behind the change. It will increase productivity, collaboration, leading to high performance - with a workforce who predominately work globally with teams across the globe. This means collaboration still takes place on a Teams call.