Amazon announces the end of its hybrid work policy

Amazon is ending its hybrid work policy and requiring employees to return to the office full-time, five days a week, starting in January. CEO Andy Jassy announced the change in a memo to staff, saying the company was returning to its pre-pandemic office routine. 

In the memo, he said, “We’ve decided that we’re going to return to being in the office the way we were before the onset of Covid”. He added that being in the office would make it possible for employees to “better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other”.

Jassy, who is well known for his scepticism of remote work, had previously allowed staff to work from home two days a week. However, Amazon’s push to bring its corporate workforce back into the office has caused some internal friction. 

The company, which employs more than 1.5 million people globally, faced protests at its Seattle headquarters last year when it began tightening remote work policies. One protest organiser was later dismissed, sparking allegations of unfair retaliation and a dispute with labour officials.

In his recent message, Jassy expressed concern that Amazon’s corporate culture, which has always aimed to maintain the energy of a start-up despite its rapid growth, was being diluted by remote work and excessive bureaucracy. Along with the return to in-person work, Amazon also plans to introduce hot-desking in the US.

The company went on to say that employees may still work from home in exceptional circumstances, such as when dealing with a sick child or a household emergency, as was the case before the pandemic. However, Jassy reiterated that the expectation is for staff to be in the office unless specific exemptions are granted in each case. 

He also noted that Amazon’s experience with the hybrid work model had only reinforced the company’s belief in the benefits of working in person.