Monday blues just got real: Amazon mandates work-from-office for 5 days a week, sparking talk of 'voluntary exits'

Talk about Monday blues. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy just announced that corporate employees now have to return to the office five days a week, officially ending the hybrid work-from-home era. It looks like the "WFH dream" is over, folks¡ªget ready to dust off those office chairs because there's no escaping it now!

Come January 2, 2025, Amazon employees are required to work from office five days a week.

This was announced by CEO Andy Jassy in a lengthy on Monday.

"When we look back over the last five years, we continue to believe that the advantages of being together in the office are significant," Jassy said in his note to employees.

The reason behind ending work from home, he states, is it "will help its thousands of employees 'invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other and our culture to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business.'"

He noted that being in office is "easier for our teammates to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture; collaborating, brainstorming, and inventing are simpler and more effective; teaching and learning from one another are more seamless; and, teams tend to be better connected to one another."

With the announcement, many took to social media platforms to express their views.

Some rued about how this will impact the traffic:

Great traffic is Seattle just got worse

¡ª Jessica Cobbe (@JessPoker) September 17, 2024

Others said this is a way to reduce workforce without having to pay severance:

At a time when layoffs in tech are common , this is actually a very easy way to shed your least dedicated employees without the cost of severance / redundancy.

¡ª Ross O¡¯toole (@2Otoole4School) September 17, 2024

This is one way to get people to leave voluntarily so their options won't vest.

¡ª Misha Turtle Island ? (@MishaFitton) September 16, 2024

Others noted that this could drive up Seattle rents: "Seattle apartment rents limit up on the news."

Meanwhile, some welcomed the news, stating: "Good for them. WFH is a scam for many lazy people to sit at home and collect a paycheck. The honest few that do work hard at home are unfortunately outnumbered."

Some expressed concern about the impact on their work-life balance, citing the additional hours spent commuting: "All time spent commuting, from the moment you leave the house until you get back home, should by law be entirely on the clock. The criminal penalties for attempting to circumvent this grotesque overtime and wage theft against tens of millions every day, should BEGIN at 'capital'."

Which major companies have mandated work from office recently?

Google: Google has been pushing for employees to return to the office at least three days a week since 2022. In 2023, it started enforcing stricter office attendance, making in-person work mandatory.

Credit: Pinterest

Apple: Apple introduced a mandatory in-office work requirement, with employees expected to be in the office at least three days a week since 2022.

Disney: Disney CEO Bob Iger implemented a four-day in-office workweek for employees starting in 2023, rolling back the remote-work options.

Meta (Facebook): Meta has reduced remote work flexibility, requiring many employees to return to the office at least three days a week, starting in 2023.

CREDIT: REUTERS

Goldman Sachs: Goldman Sachs ended its work-from-home policy in 2022, calling employees back to the office full-time, citing the need for in-person collaboration in the finance industry.

JP Morgan: JP Morgan also started phasing out remote work, requiring senior staff and other employees to return to the office full-time.

TCS (Tata Consultancy Services): TCS has announced its plan to bring employees back to the office under a phased approach. The company expects staff to work from the office three days a week, with full-time in-office work expected in the near future.

Wipro: Wipro ended its remote work model, asking employees to return to office for at least three days a week as part of its new hybrid model, with future plans to increase in-office presence.

Infosys: Infosys has been following a hybrid model, but it is increasingly encouraging employees to return to the office more frequently, expecting a higher in-office presence in the coming months.

HCL Technologies: HCL has also pushed for a return to the office, with employees required to work in-office for a few days a week, although full in-office work may be introduced soon.

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