Amazon has announced that it will end its hybrid work policy and require staff to return to the office five days a week starting in January.
The decision, communicated by CEO Andy Jassy in a memo to employees, marks a shift from the company’s previous approach, which allowed staff to work from home two days a week.
“We’ve decided that we’re going to return to being in the office the way we were before the onset of Covid,” Jassy wrote, emphasising that the change would foster better collaboration and stronger connections among employees.
Jassy, a long-time critic of remote work, has expressed concerns about how flexible work arrangements may be affecting Amazon’s corporate culture. He noted that the company, known for maintaining the intensity of a start-up despite its massive growth, risks losing this edge with too many layers of bureaucracy and less in-person interaction.
Amazon, which employs more than 1.5 million people globally, has faced internal tensions over its push to bring staff back to the office. Last year, employees at its Seattle headquarters staged a protest when the company reduced its full remote work allowance. The protest’s organiser was later fired, leading to allegations of unfair retaliation and a dispute currently under review by labour officials.
In his latest memo, Jassy reiterated concerns about the dilution of Amazon’s work culture and revealed steps the company is taking to address bureaucratic inefficiencies. He has introduced a “bureaucracy mailbox” for staff to report unnecessary rules and is pushing managers to streamline their teams, which could result in job cuts.
Amazon will be hot-desking
In addition to the return-to-office mandate, Amazon will also end hot-desking in the US, though this practice will continue in much of Europe. Staff will still be allowed to work from home in exceptional circumstances, such as personal emergencies, but Jassy made it clear that regular in-office attendance is the new expectation.
Amazon’s decision contrasts with the UK government’s approach, which is planning to make flexible working a default right from day one of employment. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has praised the benefits of remote work, stating that it helps businesses recruit from a broader talent pool and can boost productivity.
The shift away from remote work has been echoed by other major companies, including JP Morgan, UPS, and Dell, which have also recalled staff to the office full-time. However, some experts, like Stanford University professor Nicholas Bloom, believe the trend is not universal. He pointed out that while some high-profile companies are ending remote work, many others continue to expand flexible policies, though these decisions receive less media attention.
Amazon’s decision to end hybrid work follows the company’s initial move in early 2023 to require three days of in-office attendance. According to Jassy, the company’s experience with hybrid work has “strengthened our conviction about the benefits” of working in person. However, as the debate over remote and flexible work continues, it remains to be seen how this shift will impact Amazon’s workforce and broader corporate trends.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
