### Grindr Confronts NLRB Complaint Regarding Return-to-Office Policy Amid Organizing Push
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has lodged a complaint against Grindr, the well-known LGBTQ+ dating application, alleging that the firm utilized a return-to-office (RTO) directive to impede employee unionization efforts. This complaint follows the departure of a considerable segment of Grindr’s workforce, mainly those engaged in union activities, after the RTO policy was enacted.
#### Context: Efforts to Unionize and RTO Directive
In July 2023, employees of Grindr declared their intention to unionize, aiming to affiliate with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). However, mere weeks afterward, on August 3, 2023, Grindr released a memo notifying staff that they had a fortnight to choose between returning to the office for two days weekly or departing the company with six months of severance pay. The company also proposed up to $15,000 in relocation allowances for employees willing to transfer to its office sites in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Washington, DC.
Prior to this mandate, Grindr had permitted employees to work entirely remotely, a setup many had become accustomed to during the COVID-19 crisis. The timing of the RTO announcement triggered concerns among employees and union advocates, who viewed it as a strategy to deter unionization.
In spite of these apprehensions, Grindr asserted that the RTO directive had been planned for several months and was not connected to the unionization measures. Nevertheless, the Communications Workers of America union lodged a complaint with the NLRB on August 4, 2023, claiming the RTO policy was a retaliatory action against those trying to organize.
#### Consequence of the RTO Directive: Mass Departures
The RTO directive significantly affected Grindr’s employee base. Reports indicated that 80 out of 120 employees involved in unionization initiatives opted to leave rather than adhere to the RTO policy. This mass exit represented a large fraction of the firm’s total workforce, which totaled 178 employees at the time of the mandate. Overall, Grindr experienced a loss of approximately 45 percent of its employees.
Eric Cortez, part of the group spearheading the Grindr union, voiced concerns regarding the ramifications of these departures on the company’s operations. In a statement released in September 2023, Cortez remarked, “These decisions have rendered Grindr alarmingly understaffed and raise concerns about the safety, security, and stability of the app for its users.”
#### NLRB Complaint: Claims of Retaliation
On November 3, 2024, the NLRB’s general counsel office submitted a formal complaint against Grindr, accusing the company of unlawfully enforcing the RTO mandate in retaliation against employees seeking to unionize. The complaint also alleges that Grindr contravened labor regulations by failing to acknowledge or negotiate with the union.
Should the case advance without resolution, an administrative law judge is anticipated to oversee the proceedings in March 2025. While the NLRB lacks the authority to impose punitive damages, it could annul Grindr’s RTO directive if found to have acted unlawfully.
In response to the NLRB’s allegations, a Grindr representative dismissed the claims as “baseless,” asserting that the RTO policy was already in development prior to the commencement of unionization efforts. The representative stated, “It was only after it became apparent that the transition back to in-office work was imminent that some employees began signing union cards.”
Despite Grindr’s position, the union organizing committee, Grindr United-Communications Workers of America, regarded the NLRB’s complaint as a “major triumph.” In a statement, they declared, “We hope this NLRB filing sends a strong message to Grindr that, with a union, we are dedicated to negotiating fair working conditions in good faith.”
#### The Wider Discussion: RTO Policies and Employee Retention
Grindr is not alone in encountering difficulties related to RTO policies. As the COVID-19 pandemic waned and restrictions eased, numerous companies began enforcing RTO mandates, often at the expense of employees who had adapted to the flexibility of remote work. In several instances, RTO policies have been associated with employee dissatisfaction and a rise in turnover.
For instance, a survey performed by BambooHR in March 2024 revealed that some corporations were leveraging RTO mandates as a mechanism to decrease their workforce without implementing layoffs. The survey, which gathered feedback from 504 human resources managers, indicated that RTO policies were sometimes crafted to incentivize employees to resign voluntarily.
In a similar vein, a study conducted by Great Place to Work in August 2024 found that employees offered the choice to work remotely, in-office, or a blend of both were three times more inclined to remain with
