I don't know this but it sounds to me like a typical case where the senior engineers are the ones who really know how things work and they are also the ones doi

I don't know this but it sounds to me like a typical case where the senior engineers are the ones who really know how things work and they are also the ones doing the actual coding (which is probably why they prefer to work from home since it's much more productive). Then there's a bunch of manager types who only talk and write powerpoints who have a bunch of ideas that are divorced from reality. But they imagine that the people-actually-doing-the-work are the problem. I honestly think almost everyone should be required to code themselves, at least part time. That would clear out the parasitic office-politics talkers and bring power back where it belongs: to the people who actually know something, but don't have time for scheming because they actually work.