Amazon CEO orders corporate workers back to 5 days in-person

Amazon tells employees to return to office 5 days a week

At the start of the new year, corporate Amazon employees will have to return to in-person schedules five days a week.

SEATTLE - At the start of the new year, corporate Amazon employees will have to return to in-person schedules five days a week. Right now, the requirement is three days weekly.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy released a statement Monday, September 16 updating corporate employees about the state of the company and plans moving forward for in-person work.

The new directive takes effect on January 2, 2025. Jassy explains the timeline:

"We understand that some of our teammates may have set up their personal lives in such a way that returning to the office consistently five days per week will require some adjustments. To help ensure a smooth transition, we’re going to make this new expectation active on January 2, 2025. Global Real Estate and Facilities (GREF) is working on a plan to accommodate desk arrangements mentioned above and will communicate the details as they are finalized."

The CEO also expanded on desk arrangements for Seattle-area locations.

"We are also going to bring back assigned desk arrangements in locations that were previously organized that way, including the U.S. headquarters locations (Puget Sound and Arlington). For locations that had agile desk arrangements before the pandemic, including much of Europe, we will continue to operate that way."

A representative with the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) weighed in on the news from Amazon Monday afternoon.

"Downtown’s largest employer bringing people back more frequently is a home run for downtown. Amazon’s decision reinforces the value of in-person work to the success of companies and organizations." – DSA President & CEO Jon Scholes.

Amazon's message includes some flexibility. Saying before Covid-19, the 5-day in-person work week still allowed for extenuating circumstances such as sick children, house emergencies, and others. That culture will remain, according to the CEO.

Jassy ended the letter with, "I’m optimistic that these changes will better help us accomplish these goals while strengthening our culture and the effectiveness of our teams."