Stellantis pushes European white-collar workers back to office full-time

Core Viewpoint - Stellantis is pushing for a full-time return of white-collar workers to the office in Europe to enhance efficiency and recover from significant losses experienced last year [1] Group 1: Company Strategy - Stellantis aims to have tens of thousands of European employees back in the office full-time by next year, marking it as the first major European automaker to implement such a policy [1] - The return-to-office initiative is part of CEO Antonio Filosa's strategy overhaul, which includes reviving combustion-engine models and cutting costs to meet demand [1] - The company has already mandated U.S. salaried workers to return to full-time office work starting March 30 [1] Group 2: Implementation Details - The return to office will begin in France, Italy, and Germany, with plans to progressively extend to other countries [1] - In Italy, Stellantis plans for 60% of its 8,000 office workers to work three days a week in the office by September 2026, increasing to five days by 2027 [1] - French employees are expected to transition to three days per week on-site starting mid-year [1] Group 3: Union Response - The main union representing Stellantis workers in France opposes the full-time office return, with over 90% of respondents in an online poll expressing opposition [1] - The union has requested discussions regarding the plans, emphasizing that flexibility contributes to better work-life balance and reduces commuting expenses [1] - The union representative highlighted that this decision undermines a decade of progressive policy on workplace agility, creating a climate of major concern among employees [1]