Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has notified employees in the U.S. that they will have to return to the office after the New Year’s holiday, TechCrunch reports.
Starting January 2, 2025, Amazon employees will be subject to one of the strictest restrictions on remote work popular since the pandemic began. They will have to work in the office five days a week. According to Jassy, office work promotes better employee interaction and learning, which has become evident over the past 15 months when employees started working in the office three days a week.
Jassy also noted that the requirement to be in the office will remain in place in the future, unlike the pre-pandemic practice. Exceptions will only be made in certain cases, such as a child’s illness, family emergencies or projects that require isolated work.
The company also plans to reorganize its offices in Puget Sound and Arlington, and will keep its current work patterns in regions with flexible conditions, especially in Europe. Amazon also intends to invest about $10 million to modernize and refine its offices to improve employee efficiency.
The trend of employees returning to the office
Not only Amazon, but many other companies are starting to require employees to return to the office. This trend is driven by the desire to achieve greater productivity and improved communication between coworkers. Studies show that working together in the office can help speed up decision-making, make it easier to share ideas, and create more cohesive teams.
According to a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review, more than 70% of executives believe that working together in the office increases productivity and develops employee skills. In addition, many companies have realized that telecommuting, while convenient for employees, can lead to a weakened company culture and reduced creativity.
It’s also worth noting that investing in office space has become a new trend among large companies. For example, Google and Microsoft are also allocating significant funds to renovate their offices to make them more comfortable for employees and improve working conditions. Amazon, in turn, plans to invest 10 million dollars in its offices to create a more productive environment for its employees.
