Amitha Reji George, Pune
Amazon is asking workers to return to the office five days a week starting in January, to require a full week in the office post-pandemic. Three days a week in the office was the requirement for Amazon employees before this change. On September 16, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote that starting on January 2, 2025, staff should adhere to the new policy.
The announcement from Amazon comes with a rise in companies placing restrictions on remote work and enforcing stricter return-to-office policies. However Amazon is the first major tech company to impose a full workweek, and other major businesses have started to gradually change their policies and procedures in recent years. Other companies like Dell, AT&T, SAP, and others have also decreased the number of flexible work options they provide. In response to the new policies a few employees have threatened to resign and others have protested.
During the pandemic, tech companies were among the first to come up with flexible work schedules, claiming that they had successfully operated in distant contexts. However, it has been more than four years and many of those businesses have returned staff members to the workplace, only partially. Even the popular pandemic media Zoom, which made remote work possible for tens of thousands of workers, has brought some employees back to work on a part-time basis. Along with tech companies, Disney, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs are among the other companies that have updated their policies about remote work.
According to Mr. Jassy, CEO of Amazon, the company’s revised policy will be similar to pre-pandemic standards. Also, there will be exceptions for situations like a sick child, an emergency, or the need for isolation. Employees will no longer be permitted to work two days a week from home without a solid reason unless their supervisor has given their specific permission.
Mr.Jassy also discussed plans to improve the employee-to-manager ratio at Amazon in an effort to improve the company’s organizational structure and boost team productivity.
Over 1.5 million people work for Amazon full-time and part-time worldwide, and the company’s drive to get corporate employees back into the office has caused tension.