米誌ＣＥＯ、在宅勤務従業員の「業務委託」切り替え示唆　職場放棄に発展

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米誌ワシントニアンの最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）が主要紙への寄稿で、在宅勤務からオフィス勤務に戻らなければ、雇用形態を業務委託に切り替えるとほのめかしたことを受けて、記者らが７日、職場を放棄した。（写真は資料写真）
　キャシー・メリルＣＥＯは米紙ワシントン・ポストへの寄稿の中で、「従業員がたまにしか出勤しない場合（中略）経営陣がその従業員の雇用形態を『業務委託』に切り替える強い動機付けとなる」と述べた。
　「ＣＥＯとしては、オフィス勤務に戻らないことのリスクを従業員に理解してもらいたい」
　業務委託契約になった場合、健康保険などの福利厚生を受けられなくなる恐れがあることから、従業員は反発。
　これを受けてメリル氏は謝罪し、社内向け文書で「福利厚生や雇用形態に変更はない」と述べた。
　シニアエディターのアンドルー・ボージョン氏ら従業員は、「ワシントニアン編集部の一員としては、われわれの仕事を評価しないことのリスクをＣＥＯに理解してもらいたい」と一斉にツイッターに投稿した。
　「キャシー・メリル氏がわれわれの生活をあからさまに脅かしたことに失望した。きょうは記事を出さない」【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/05/10-12:42）

Writers at a US magazine stopped work Friday after the company's chief executive penned an essay in the Washington Post suggesting risks to their job status if they did not return to the office.
The move came after Washingtonian CEO Cathy Merrill questioned the work status of remote employees in one of the country's biggest newspapers.
If the employee is rarely around... management has a strong incentive to change their status to 'contractor,' Merrill wrote.
As a CEO, I want my employees to understand the risks of not returning to work in the office.
Merrill later apologized, sending a memo saying there will be no changes to benefits or employee status, but not before an outcry from the staff.
As members of the Washingtonian editorial staff, we want our CEO to understand the risks of not valuing our labor, senior editor Andrew Beaujon and other staff members tweeted in unison.
We are dismayed by Cathy Merrill's public threat to our livelihoods. We will not be publishing today.
The incident marks the latest dust-up over companies moving to bring employees back to the office after a year or more of remote work during the pandemic.
Some firms such as Twitter have allowed employees to work remotely indefinitely, while others such as Microsoft are moving toward a hybrid model of remote and office work.
Merill's comments struck a chord because it suggested employees could be classified as contractors, potentially losing health insurance and other benefits.
Merill wrote that she was concerned about the unfortunately common office worker who wants to continue working at home and just go into the office on occasion, saying this could erode workplace culture.
She said that continued remote work will take away the casual meetings that take place during the workday... Decisions will be made. Maybe if you are at home you'll be Zoomed in, but probably not.