Amazon has announced a major change in its work culture by mandating a full-time return to the office for its corporate employees. Starting January 2, 2025, the company will require its corporate employees to work from the office five days a week, a departure from the hybrid model introduced during the pandemic. Currently, Amazon employees are required to work from the office only three days a week.

The announcement was made by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, ​​who highlighted the importance of personal collaboration. He said the new policy is aimed at improving innovation and ensuring employees stay connected to each other, which Jassy believes is key to delivering the best results for customers and the business.

Jesse, who has long been an advocate of working in the office, reiterated the benefits of physical presence in his memo. He explained that employees who work from the office have better opportunities to learn from each other, collaborate more efficiently, and strengthen company culture. According to him, activities such as brainstorming and mentoring are easier when teams are physically together.

“Having the right culture at Amazon is something I don’t take lightly. We’ve found that it’s easy for our associates to learn, emulate, practice, and reinforce our culture,” he said.

However, this decision may not be to the liking of all employees. Last year, many corporate employees staged a walkout at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters for three days in protest of the company’s push to return to the office. This protest also came after Amazon made significant workforce reductions, laying off 27,000 people across multiple rounds of cuts.

While Amazon’s move is in line with the trend of companies pushing for a return to the office, it is a bold move compared to the global corporate climate. A survey conducted by the Conference Board earlier this year showed that only 4 percent of CEOs worldwide prefer a full-time return to the office. Many companies, especially in sectors outside Wall Street, have softened their stance on the issue, continuing to offer hybrid models or more flexible working environments.