Cognizant says that the workers’ contracts have always stated that the jobs were in-office jobs and that it communicated to workers since Dec. 2021 that it would provide 90 days notice when employees were expected back in the office. “Cognizant respects the right of our associates to disagree with our policies, and to protest them lawfully,” the company said in a statement to Axios. “However, it is disappointing that some of our associates have chosen to strike over a return to office policy that has been communicated to them repeatedly since December 2021.”
“My goal is to keep my friends employed,” said Katie Marschher, who has worked at Cognizant on YouTube Music for nearly two years. Like many on her team, Marschher said she works more than one job to make ends meet. Although she lives in Austin, one of her other jobs is helping bands on tour, which requires her to travel. That works well remotely but she would have to scale back if required to be in office. “Our hope is we can actually have a dialogue where we are listened to,” said Neil Gossell, who joined the YouTube/Cognizant team last year. He took the job specifically because it allowed him to work from home close to his spouse, who has post-traumatic stress disorder. The YouTube Music STRIKE press conference has been shared on Facebook and Twitter.
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