To reiterate the usual list of potential un-publicized motives:<p>1. Indirect layoffs.<p>2. Retain favorable tax arrangement that have "local jobs" as a requirement.<p>3. Pressure from investors who have downtown rentals in their portfolio.<p>4. Peer pressure from others in executive social circles, everyone else is doing it too so it must be true, etc.<p>5. Managers having problems either evaluating employees on work-merits or else proving to their own bosses that they're doing something valuable.
Some other big name companies have got it correct. “at your managers discretion” you know the old saying. You don’t leave a toxic workplace you leave a toxic manager.