Amazon is telling its employees to come back to the office five days a week. The company is ending its hybrid work policy. The change will start in January 2025.
Amazon's chief executive, Andy Jassy, sent a message to all staff. He said: "We have decided to return to the office the way we were before Covid." He believes that working in the office helps people work better together and be more creative.
Before this decision, Amazon employees could work from home two days a week. Now, they must come to the office every day, unless they have a special reason — for example, a sick child or a home emergency.
This decision has caused tension inside Amazon. The company employs more than 1.5 million people around the world. Last year, workers at Amazon's headquarters in Seattle organised a protest against the company's office policies. After the protest, Amazon fired the person who organised it. Many people said this was unfair.
Andy Jassy also said he was worried about the company's culture. He said that too much flexible working and too many rules were making Amazon feel less like a creative, fast-moving company. He wants fewer managers and faster decisions.
Amazon also said it will end hot-desking — the practice of sharing desks — in the United States. However, hot-desking will continue in most European offices.
The situation in the UK is different. The UK government wants to make flexible working a basic right for employees from their first day at work. The Business Secretary said that flexible working can help companies find more workers and can also increase productivity.
Some workers prefer to work from home. Graeme, who lives in the north of England, works mainly from home. He says he is much more productive at home because in the office, people interrupt him and it is harder to concentrate. However, he also says that being in an office is important for socialising with colleagues.
During the pandemic, many companies allowed employees to work from home. Since 2022, many businesses have asked workers to return to the office, but not all employees have come back full time.