That's not how the job market is right now. There's like 5 companies in the world that can compete on compensation while allowing remote work with meta.

Yeah I don't get people who quit when RTO or unreasonable changes are made. Quitting makes it easy for them and means they stop paying you now.

Letting them fire you means at worst you end up with the same outcome, at best you call their bluff and get paid a few months more (or forever).

There have never been "company hours" in tech. Until recently (before badge tracking became a thing) asking your manager what time you were expected to come in and leave would be met with blank stares. "We don't enforce set hours here, just get your work done". And conversely "I came to the office and worked 8 hours a day like you asked" is never going to be accepted as an excuse when you fail to meet your targets at the end of the quarter or miss a page in the middle of the night. Heck you can't even work on your own projects after hours or patent your own ideas because the knowledge in your head is company property. Simply put - they are hiring you for your skills and your output, not for warming a seat at an office for 8 hours a day. Tech companies have always treated employees like adults and expected adult behavior in return, and both sides have benefited greatly from this arrangement. Sadly it seems like the new crop of tech leadership seems adamant on making their companies more like a call center.

Or, just maybe I'm doing the daycare and social life and whatever in the spare time I have from no longer commuting (~2 hours extra a day for me).

Looks like you don't know how to properly manage your team.

I had a similar argument with a previous manager I had. Careerist dude started on some bullshit management-speak on measuring workers by ass-to-seat-hours while he had no idea I had a management degree from one of the most respected business colleges in my country. Had to rebuke him with Business Management 101.

Of course, this definitely contributed for him pushing me out afterwards, as small minds can't handle being wrong, and he even had the gall of trying and pushing me an unethical assignment. I got out with a nice severance package, and from the grapevine (it's a small community down here after all!) I hear every quarter somebody quits from his team or moves to a different one.

So yeah, bad managers got to career.

Where does GP say that this is done on company time?

It's called a work-life balance. I know, crazy idea.

Ok, sweet deal if you are one of the most valuable employees in big tech. Sounds like a perk that many people would seek out.

Are you?

If yes, cool. If no, well, seems like you have rationalized that not everyone will get WFH regardless on your feelings about it

On number one, sure, take all the risk yourself. It pays off sometimes. And when it comes to hiring people you need to work as hard as you do, you can tell them they can work from home.

Ok, fair, but roundabout reasoning.

Your choice to leave makes it a certainty. A soft market mean uncertainty.