Amazon's announcement comes as more companies scale back on remote work
Amazon is asking its corporate staff to return to the office five days a week starting in January, CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a memo on September 16. In his memo, Mr Jassy wrote that he expects the employees to adhere to the new policy beginning January 2, 2025.
According to The Washington Post, before this change, Amazon employees were required to be in the office three days a week.
"When we look back over the last five years, we continue to believe that the advantages of being together in the office are significant," Jassy's note to staff said. "We've observed that it's easier for our teammates to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture; collaborating, brainstorming, and inventing are simpler and more effective; teaching and learning from one another are more seamless; and, teams tend to be better connected to one another."
"Before the pandemic, it was not a given that folks could work remotely two days a week, and that will also be true moving forward - our expectation is that people will be in the office outside of extenuating circumstances," Mr Jassy said.
Amazon's announcement comes as more companies scale back on remote work and enforce stricter return-to-office policies. While Amazon is the first major tech firm to mandate a full week in the office, other tech companies have been gradually revising their policies in recent years, taking firmer stances. Companies like SAP, AT&T, and Dell have also rolled back their flexible work arrangements. In response, some employees have resisted, with threats, protests, or even resignations over the new policies.
Tech companies were early adopters of flexible work arrangements during the pandemic, often touting the success of remote operations. However, more than four years later, many of those companies are bringing employees back to the office, at least on a part-time basis. Even Zoom, which became a symbol of remote work during the pandemic, has called its employees back part-time. Other companies outside the tech industry, such as Disney, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America, have also reversed their remote work policies.
Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, stated that the company's updated policy will resemble pre-pandemic norms. While exceptions will still be allowed for reasons such as a sick child, emergencies, or the need for isolation, employees will no longer be able to work from home two days a week without a valid reason, unless they have explicit approval for remote work from their supervisor.
Jassy also mentioned plans to flatten Amazon's organizational structure by increasing the ratio of employees to managers, aiming to reduce bureaucracy and improve team efficiency.