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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has ordered a return to five days a week in the office starting in January 2025, potentially forcing hybrid and remote workers to make hard choices.
In a message to staff, Jassy claimed in-person work would make it easier to “invent, collaborate, and be connected” than the remote alternative. He argued that the last 15 months, where office workers had to be present for three days, “strengthened” Amazon’s resolve.
The only exceptions are those that applied before the COVID-19 pandemic, Jassy said, such as work trips or approved special work exceptions. The company will also return to assigned desks at those offices where they existed before the pandemic.
The January timing for the return to office mandate theoretically gives workers time to make “adjustments” to their personal lives that allow for the full five days.
The move could nonetheless frustrate employees who have been counting on hybrid or remote work to stay with Amazon. If their family life (such as caring for a young child) or location makes five days difficult, they may have to find accommodations like daycare or even leave the company.
Advocates for remote work have rejected the notion that office attendance is necessary. Many modern collaboration apps make it easy to work virtually, they’ve argued. They also contend that working from home can help the environment and traffic by reducing the need for commutes.
Some companies, such as the DevOps giant GitLab and Spotify, have embraced remote staff and rely primarily or exclusively on people who might never see each other in real life.
It’s not clear if employees will get the opportunity to challenge Amazon on its return to office mandate. For now, they might have to accept that their lives are going to change significantly if they want to stay with the online shopping giant.
