Amazon changes its stance on remote work, asks employees to work in the office at least three days a week starting May 1.
Amazon, the e-commerce giant and one of the world’s largest employers, is changing its work-from-home policy. Starting May 1, Amazon’s employees will be required to work in the office at least three days a week, according to a statement by CEO Andy Jassy. This marks a significant shift from Amazon’s current flexible policy, which allowed leaders to decide where their teams would work.
Jassy argued that being in the office would facilitate learning, collaboration, and culture building, stating that “it’s hard to build a strong, dynamic culture over video conferencing.” The new policy has been welcomed by small businesses and arts organizations, as it is expected to attract more workers to downtown areas in cities.
Amazon is not the only major company requiring employees to work in-person. Starbucks and Microsoft have also implemented similar policies. The change in Amazon’s policy is expected to impact over 1.5 million full- and part-time employees, including those in warehouses.
However, many employees are unhappy with the developments. They are concerned about the commute and the rigidity of the workplace. One employee said that “the company is shooting themselves in the foot”, referring to how the company could lose out on talent from remote locations.
As the world slowly crawls out of the pandemic, the debate over remote work versus in-person work is ongoing. While some companies are shifting towards remote work, others like Amazon are prioritizing in-person collaboration and culture building. It remains to be seen how this shift will impact Amazon’s workforce and the broader debate over the future of work.
