Working from home is over, Amazon told its corporate employees on Monday—at least on weekdays. The most recent guidance was that staff members needed to show up at least three days a week. That minimum has gone the way of social distancing, CNBC reports. "Before the pandemic, it was not a given that folks could work remotely two days a week, and that will also be true moving forward," CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a company memo, adding that "our expectation is that people will be in the office outside of extenuating circumstances." The policy takes effect Jan. 2.
Jassy has told employees before that having them in the same place improves the company culture, per CNN, and he told them he realized teams needed time to figure out how that will work best for them. On Monday, Jassy said being in the office will help help staff members "invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other and our culture to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business." He also said Amazon is simplifying its corporate structure.
The company will have fewer managers, Jassy said, to "remove layers and flatten organizations." Corporate organizations are to increase the ratio of "individual contributors"—employees who typically don't manage other employees—to managers by at least 15%. It wasn't made clear whether positions will be cut, per CNBC, and a company spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company had added employees during the pandemic, until Jassy ordered thousands of layoffs. (More Amazon stories.)
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