Amazon drops work-from-home policy during Covid-19

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sent out an internal memo requiring employees to come to the office five days a week.

Like many other major tech companies, Amazon has allowed employees to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic and has struggled to ask them to return to work full-time at the company.

Amazon employees will work at the company five days a week starting in early 2025.

Starting in February 2023, Amazon required employees to be present at the company three days a week, which drew backlash.

“As we look back over the past five years, we continue to believe that the benefits of co-location are significant. We’ve found it easier for colleagues to learn, plan, implement, and enhance our culture; collaboration and innovation are simpler and more effective; teaching and learning from others is smoother; and teams tend to connect better,” says Jassy.

The new policy will take effect on January 2, 2025, to adapt to necessary lifestyle changes.

Exceptional cases are still permitted to work remotely, as per regulations in place before the Covid-19 pandemic. "If you or your child is sick, if you have an urgent matter at home, if you are on your way to meet a client or partner, if you need one or two days to complete coding in a more isolated environment, you will be allowed to work remotely," Jassy wrote in the announcement.

Some labor experts say the move away from remote work could hurt employees who have become accustomed to flexible working arrangements. Others say the move could be aimed at cutting staff. Some Amazon employees are unhappy about having to return to work, according to The New York Times .

In 2023, Amazon announced it would have 300,000-350,000 employees globally after a wave of layoffs. This figure does not include warehouse and delivery workers, who make up the majority of Amazon's total workforce of about 1.5 million.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/amazon-bo-chinh-sach-lam-viec-tai-nha-thoi-covid-19-18524091716464239.htm