US tech giant Amazon says it is requiring its employees to return to the office five days a week, just as they did before the coronavirus pandemic. The firm cites advantages of working together in the office as the reason for the decision.
In a message shared with employees on Monday, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy 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 said it was “to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business.”
Jassy also said, “when we look back over the last five years, we continue to believe that the advantages of being together in the office are significant.”
The decision reflects the company’s view that it is more beneficial for employees to learn from one another and for teams to become better connected by working in the office than working remotely.
But the company is expected to face some employee resistance, as some people have been hired in the past several years on condition of certain remote work.
Amazon employees had worked remotely during the pandemic. The company reviewed the practice last year and has since asked employees to come back to the office for three mandatory days.
Other major tech companies, including Google and Meta, are reportedly recommending employees to work in the office two or three days a week. Business watchers are seeing whether Amazon’s decision will affect working conditions at other firms.