“We have decided to return office work to how it was before COVID-19” – CEO Andy Jassy announced in a statementIn his opinion, employees will be “better prepared to invent, collaborate and stay in touch with each other.”
Amazon Brings Workers Back to Offices: The End of Hybrid Work
Amazon employees are currently required to work from the office at least three days a week. The company has already made the decision to phase out hybrid work, a change that will go into effect on January 2, 2025.
“As we look back on the last five years, we continue to believe that the benefits of being together in the office are significant. (…) We have seen that it is easier for our team members to learn, model, practice and reinforce our culture. Collaboration, brainstorming and ideation are easier and more effective. Cross-teaching and learning are smoother, and teams tend to be more connected,” the Amazon CEO said. The company said that in some circumstances, employees will still be able to work from home, such as when a child is sick.
Amazon wants to reduce the number of managers
Another change is simplifying its corporate structure. Amazon wants to reduce the ratio of managers to employees by at least 15% by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
Amazon employs 1.5 million people worldwide. Last year, workers at its Seattle headquarters protested a cut in a remote-work allowance introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. After negotiations, Amazon fired the leader of the protest, sparking outrage at the company.