'We Will Stop The Insanity Of...': Markus Villig Of Bolt Calls Out Remote Work Culture

In an internal memo, Villig expressed concerns about the company's hiring practices, noting that recruiters had become complacent, particularly regarding employees' locations and working arrangements

Markus Villig, CEO of Bolt, the Estonian competitor to Uber, is concerned that employees are essentially taking vacations while working from picturesque locations like Bali. As a result, Markus Villig has directed them to return to the office. He described his staff as "disconnected" and has partially rolled back the company's flexible work policy, which he feels has contributed to employees being dispersed globally, according to a Fortune report.

Bolt's CEO has implemented a new requirement for the company's 4,000 employees, mandating that they work from the office at least three days a week, totalling a minimum of 12 days per month.

In an internal memo, Markus Villig expressed concerns about the company's hiring practices, noting that recruiters had become complacent, particularly regarding employees' locations and working arrangements. He stated, “We are too scattered, people feel disconnected, attrition is too high, and our offices lie empty.” Villig emphasised the need for change, declaring, “We will stop the insanity of people working remotely from places like Bali. That is a vacation, not what we hired them to do.”

Villig reportedly expressed that it was a “disgrace” that fewer than half of his employees were in the office for at least two days a week. According to the latest memo, while Bolt's staff will retain some flexibility, they will be required to live within a reasonable commuting distance of a company office.

In the meantime, Bolt’s global employer branding manager, Grete Kivi, took to LinkedIn to clarify that the reports surrounding the company’s return-to-office mandate were “not that dramatic.” She suggested that while changes are being implemented, the overall narrative may be more nuanced than it appears.

“Here’s the thing. Working at Bolt is not for everyone. We’re fast-paced, and you’re expected to perform to the highest standard. Bolt has never been a remote-first company, and we’ve been clear about that from the start. Everyone who joins us knows this--it’s not a sudden change in policy,” she wrote in her post.