IBM return to office policy3 days a week.
IBM requires US managers and a growing list of US teams (sales, cloud, finance and operations) to work from an IBM office or client site at least three days a week. It has pushed many remote staff to move within about 50 miles of an assigned location or leave.
Days in the office
- Policy
- Hybrid
- In effect since
- January 2024
- Announced
- January 16, 2024
- Industry
- Tech
- Headquarters
- Armonk, NY
- Checked
- Reported October 2026
What the policy says.
- Jan 2024 memo from SVP John Granger: US managers must work at an office or client location at least 3 days a week. Remote managers had to move within about 50 miles of an office by early Aug 2024 or 'separate from IBM.'
- Attendance is tracked with badge-in data.
- Feb 2025: the mandate extended to finance and operations teams (The Register).
- Apr 2025: 'return to client' co-location rule for most US sales staff, at client sites, flagship offices or sales hubs. Relocation benefits are offered to those more than 50 miles away.
- Apr 10, 2025 memo: all US Cloud employees in designated offices 3 days a week by July 1, 2025, with relocations due by Oct 1, 2025.
- Exemptions exist for medical and military reasons. Some sales segments are exempt.
- Current and former staff told The Register the policy works as a stealth layoff.
How IBM's policy changed since 2020.
March 2020
Employees move to remote work.
May 2023
CEO Arvind Krishna says remote work can slow career advancement (Bloomberg interview).
January 16, 2024
US managers required in office 3 days a week and told to relocate near an office.
August 2024
Relocation deadline for remote managers.
February 2025
RTO order expands to finance and operations teams.
April 2025
US sales co-location and US Cloud 3-day mandate announced.
July 1, 2025
Cloud staff deadline to be in office 3 days a week.
October 1, 2025
Deadline for relocating Cloud staff.
Sources and how sure we are.
ReportedReported by major outlets, but not every detail is confirmed by the company.IBM has not published one company-wide rule; the policy has grown team by team. No 2026 update has been reported, and a third-party tracker still listed 3-day hybrid in October 2026. The month of the 2023 Krishna remark is unconfirmed.
- 1.Return to office or quit, IBM tells managers Computerworld, January 30, 2024
- 2.IBM return-to-office order hits finance, ops teams amid push to dump staff for AI The Register, February 12, 2025
- 3.IBM orders US sales to locate near customers or offices The Register, April 18, 2025
Days a week are for most US corporate employees; some teams, roles and countries differ. Spot something out of date? Email hello@forgot.dev.
Other tech employers, side by side.
- Amazon5 days a week, since January 20255
- Dell5 days a week, since March 20255
- X (Twitter)5 days a week, since November 20225
- Intel4 days a week, since September 20254
- Snap4 days a week, since February 20234
- Apple3 days a week, since September 20223
- Expedia Group3 days a week3
- Google (Alphabet)3 days a week, since April 20223
Working to an office rule? Plan the days that matter.
The hybrid work schedule template builds a week of office days for your team: anchor days everyone shares, the rest spread so the office never overflows. Then Forgot keeps office days, remote days and vacations on one calendar, so nobody commutes in for a planning day half the team is away for.
Questions
Does IBM require employees to return to the office?
Yes. IBM requires US managers and a growing list of US teams (sales, cloud, finance and operations) to work from an IBM office or client site at least three days a week. It has pushed many remote staff to move within about 50 miles of an assigned location or leave.
How many days a week does IBM require in the office?
3 days a week in the office, as of October 2026.
When did IBM's current office policy start?
It took effect in January 2024, after being announced in January 2024.
What was the latest change to IBM's office policy?
October 2025: Deadline for relocating Cloud staff.