When you don't have a good reason for something but you also don't have to justify your actions, this is the kind of dumb shit you throw at the wall to just make the conversation end.

"Middle management are feeling fragile and insecure and solving that matters more than actual productivity, especially for a company who has a share price history that you could ride a sled down". There's a real reason if you want one.

Classic corporate doublespeak, IMO.

"This is bad, but bad is good."

Execs are no doubt panicking because the infinite growth they've promised as a result of their 2020 finances is starting to look unlikely and they need excuses to cut down on employees

Previously, they can't test in production because if it cause an outage, zoom employees must use Google Meets to coordinate a fix. If their employees are all in the office, they can push directly to production without fear of being locked out, therefore increasing productivity. /s