Ford IT Screens Hacked with Anti-Return-to-Office Message at Dearborn Headquarters

Ford Motor Co. has confirmed a hacking incident where meeting room screens at its Dearborn headquarters displayed an anti-return-to-office (RTO) message featuring CEO Jim Farley's face with a red circle and the words "F**k RTO." This unauthorized message appeared briefly before being removed, prompting an internal investigation into whether it affected other Ford facilities globally. The hack highlighted employee dissatisfaction with Ford's recent policy requiring salaried workers to be in the office four days a week, a shift from the hybrid or remote arrangements many had adapted to during the pandemic. Ford's leadership defends the return-to-office mandate as essential to fostering collaboration and accelerating the company's transformation, while some employees expressed frustration, noting the disruption to personal lives and commitments made based on earlier remote work promises. The incident not only exposed vulnerabilities in Ford's IT defenses but also brought attention to broader tensions in the corporate world regarding office attendance policies. Despite the backlash, Ford reports no significant resignations tied to the policy so far and continues to reinforce higher performance standards under Farley's tenure.