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Twitter and Apple are cracking down on return-to-office mandates. Other tech companies will likely start too.

G'day, mates. I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I'm taking three weeks away from work to see my family in Australia. I (sadly) won't be writing the newsletter while I'm away. But! My wonderful teammates Paayal Zaveri, Asia Martin, and Emilia David will each take over for one week.

I'm excited for you to read even more of their smart, unique work. Ahead of that, here's a preview with some of their recent reporting:

Paayal dove into how Trump and Biden share one prominent opinion — that something needs to be done about TikTok. Asia gave us a numbers-based look at the future of Facebook's parent company Meta. And Emilia broke down why even tech elites need the government.

I'm so excited to receive their 10 Things in Tech newsletter while I'm away. But before we dive into today's tech, some breaking news this morning: First Citizens BancShares has agreed to buy Silicon Valley Bank, according to the FDIC.

Now, let's get started.


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return to office 2
return to office 2

Getty

1. Enforcing return-to-office mandates. Major tech companies are taking in-person work pretty seriously. Apple just threatened to take action against employees who aren't coming in three days per week. And Elon Musk sent a late-night memo to Twitter employees saying that the "office is not optional."

  • They were early return-to-office tech companies. So their crackdowns give a glimmer of how tech companies issuing similar mandates now will enforce them going forward.

  • Amazon, Oracle, Salesforce, and many other tech companies recently announced the end to remote work. Although their plans remain nascent, they now have a blueprint for implementing the policies.

  • Mike Morini, CEO of Workforce Software, isn't reversing his company's remote work. But he told me: "Leaders either want them there for control or they feel they need them there for the culture to survive and thrive."

Check out our list of major companies with return-to-office mandates — they could eye policy enforcement soon.


In other news:

man getting laid off and waving goodbye
man getting laid off and waving goodbye

Companies are lowering salaries for new hires, and the recent layoffs are also tamping down the power of remaining employees, recruiters say.andresr/Getty Images

2. Et tu, employer? Tech workers feel betrayed by layoffs. HR experts told my teammate Asia Martin that most companies simply aren't prepared for mass layoffs. But this leaves workers feeling cheated and jilted. Come behind the scenes of corporate layoff messiness here.

3. Elon Musk's feud with ChatGPT. Years ago, ChatGPT's creator OpenAI reportedly rejected Musk's proposal to run the company. This prompted him to step down from the company's board. Insider chronicles his ongoing feud with the buzzy chatbot's creator.

4. Leaked doc reveals how to get paid by Snapchat. In 2022, the company started sharing ad revenue with select Snap Stars (its term for top snappers). The tips include using captions and posting 20-50 snap stories per day. Get the full list of best practices here.

5. "Fake work" is just an excuse for bad management. Experts say it stems from pandemic paranoia over remote work. They also point to executives being disconnected from staff. More on the factors behind the "fake work" epidemic that prominent techies keep talking about.

6. Former Instagram employee shares how to grow your audience on the app. Jackie Candelaria told my colleague Sydney Bradley her best tips. They include using Reels to tell stories and approaching platforms like TikTok versus Instagram differently. Check out all her advice here.

7. Microsoft plans layoffs in its cybersecurity division. The hundreds of cuts are set to happen on Monday, per the documents viewed by Insider. Get the leaked plan here.

8. How this couple made $10 million from selling on Amazon. Deanna Slamans and her husband are full-time Amazon sellers. They bought their dream house, and Deanna now coaches other Amazon sellers. Check out their roadmap to generating a steady profit.


Odds and ends:

Woman Keeping her jewelry in a bank safe box - stock photo
Woman Keeping her jewelry in a bank safe box - stock photo

Woman Keeping her jewelry in a bank safe box.Juanmonino/Getty Images

9. Couple accuses JPMorgan of drilling open their safe, selling $10M of jewelry. The financial services company allegedly auctioned off their valuables: Rolex watches, gold coins, and other bling. More on the not-so-safe situation here.

10. Car dealers are fighting against extinction. "Teslafication" of the auto industry is intensifying. Dealers are scrambling to compete in the electric vehicle race or risk falling behind. Plus, buyers have entirely new demands. Dive into the dealership identity crisis here.


What we're watching today:


Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in Los Angeles. (Feedback or tips? Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Matt Weinberger (tweet @gamoid) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.

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