Ford Motor Co. is investigating an incident in which a vulgar anti-return-to-office message was displayed on Thursday in Dearborn corporate buildings.

A photo of the face of CEO Jim Farley with a red prohibition symbol over it appeared on monitors in conference rooms around 9 a.m. that soon were taken down, according to photos shared on social media of the monitors.

"(Expletive) RTO," the display read.

The incident is a sign of the challenges companies face in increasing in-office work days after many white-collar workers were sent to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-office work in many cases eases collaboration and offers employers greater oversight of work, but after employers got a taste of greater freedom and flexibility working from home, the return can come with its challenges.

Ford at the start of September required office employees to work on-site at least four days per week, citing efforts to encourage growth, higher margins and more stability in the company's business model. It's joined other companies from Chrysler Stellantis NV to Huntington Bank in increasing in-office days this year.

"We're aware of the an inappropriate use of Ford's IT technology and are investigating it," Ford spokesperson Dave Tovar said in a statement about the Thursday incident.

Ford employees ahead of the increased return-to-office requirements have said find parking and a spot to work can be a challenge in certain areas of Ford's Dearborn campus like in the city's downtown district, though the automaker has launched a shuttle to help with that. Most Ford employees in Dearborn don't have assigned desks, with the automaker implementing a hotel-style workplace model. Others have expressed disgruntlement over long commutes, more distractions compared to working from home and feelings of micromanagement.

Ford has said it's updating and adapting workspaces to meet employee needs. By 2027, 90% of in-office employees will be working in new or renovated spaces. That includes the new product development center, known as "the Hub," that will replace the Glass House as the company's global headquarters.

Ford isn't alone in return-to-office-work opposition. Ford's crosstown rival General Motors Co., since January 2024, has required employees to work in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Some employees — who CEO Mary Barra later described as a "very small minority" of "CAVE people" because they were "currently against virtually everything" — weren't happy about GM increasing in-office days after it had adopted a flexible "Work Appropriately" model in 2021. After announcing a three-day in-person policy initially, GM delayed the start after backlash, saying it wouldn't institute the requirement in 2022.

Stellantis instituted a new policy of more in-office work in March. Employees are working on-site three to five days per week.

_____

©2025 www.detroitnews.com. Visit at detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.