Amazon Orders Employees To Return To Office Full-Time, Five Days A Week

Amazon is requiring its corporate staff to work in the office five days a week starting January 2, 2025, CEO Andy Jassy announced in a memo on September 16. Previously, employees were mandated to be in the office three days a week, according to The Washington Post.

In his memo, Jassy emphasized the benefits of in-office work, stating that being together fosters better learning, collaboration, and cultural cohesion. He noted that pre-pandemic, remote work was not standard practice, and moving forward, the expectation is for employees to work in the office except under special circumstances.

Amazon’s move to require full-time office attendance follows a broader trend among companies tightening remote work policies. As the first major tech firm to mandate a complete return to the office, Amazon joins others like SAP, AT&T, and Dell in scaling back flexible work arrangements.

This shift has prompted some employee backlash, including threats, protests, and resignations. Despite tech companies initially championing remote work, many are now reintroducing office-based work, including Zoom, which once symbolized remote operations.

Additionally, companies outside the tech sector, such as Disney, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America, are also reversing their remote work policies. Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, announced that the company’s new policy will return to pre-pandemic standards, requiring employees to work in the office five days a week starting January 2025.

Exceptions will be made for specific situations like caring for a sick child or emergencies, but regular remote work will no longer be permitted without explicit supervisor approval. Additionally, Jassy plans to streamline Amazon’s organizational structure by increasing the employee-to-manager ratio, aiming to cut down on bureaucracy and boost team efficiency.