Sept 16 (Askume) – Amazon (AMZN.O) will force its workers to return to company offices five days a week from next year, further tightening an earlier three-day order.
“This change is necessary to foster innovation, collaboration, and connection,” Chief Executive Andy Jassy wrote in a letter to employees posted on his website on Monday. He added that the experience of the three-day mission “reinforced our belief in the benefits of working from the office”.
Companies are allowing many employees to work from home since the pandemic has left offices nearly empty in many cities, including San Francisco and Seattle. However, some tech companies have begun requiring employees to go to the office two to three days a week.
As the daily threat of COVID-19 lessens, Amazon has taken a stricter stance than many of its competitors. Employees told Askume how Amazon requires them to report to remote offices or commute to Seattle in some cases to keep their jobs.
Some workers who repeatedly failed to comply with the existing three-day order were told they were “voluntarily resigning” and locked out of Amazon’s system. An Amazon spokesperson did not immediately say whether the new order would be so strict, and an employee questionnaire shared with Askume on Monday did not make it clear.
The order is extremely unpopular among a vocal group of employees who say working from home is cost effective and saves time and money over commuting. Last May, workers at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters went on strike to protest the e-commerce giant’s changes to climate policies, layoffs, and return-to-office orders .
As part of the organizational restructuring, Amazon plans to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers to at least 15% by the end of the first quarter of 2025. In a Q&A, Amazon said some “organizations may identify roles that are no longer needed,” but did not provide further details.
Amazon also ended a previous program that allowed employees to work from anywhere for up to four months a year, Q&A reported.
