Amazon will require all office employees to work in-person at least three days per week, ending a policy that allowed team directors to make remote work decisions.
Andy Jassy, the company’s CEO, informed employees of the change on Friday, stating that it would take effect on May 1.
This year, the company joins others such as Disney and Starbucks in tightening remote work policies.
Mr. Jassy stated that the change would improve communication, career development, and corporate culture.
“When we’re in person, it’s easier and more effective to collaborate and invent,” he wrote in a memo shared by the firm.
During the pandemic lockdowns in 2020, remote work increased dramatically. It is still far more common than it was before the pandemic, but surveys indicate that the practice is gradually fading.
According to a monthly online survey of working arrangements and attitudes conducted by Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom and others since May 2020, the share of days worked from home fell to 27% in January, from nearly 35% a year earlier.
As of March, Disney’s policy, announced in January, requires employees to report to the office at least four days per week.
Starbucks requires at least three days of in-person work per week, and Activision Blizzard announced similar plans this week.
High-profile business leaders, such as Elon Musk, who banned remote work at Tesla and Twitter, have long expressed their displeasure with the practice.
However, many employees have resisted the changes, and in some cases, employers have reversed their positions.
As the city struggles to fill vacancies, New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently stated that the city would consider relaxing its in-office requirements.
Mr. Jassy stated that executives had had time to consider the benefits and drawbacks of various working methods.