Amazon’s New Office-Only Policy Goes Against the Grain and Will Cost Them Dearly
Amazon’s recent decision to require corporate employees to return to the office five days a week is generating significant controversy. In a memo to employees, CEO Andy Jassy emphasized the benefits of in-person work, such as increased collaboration, innovation, and cultural connection. Yet, this stance flies in the face of a growing body of research that demonstrates the advantages of hybrid work models—not full-time office work—for productivity, employee performance, and retention. Moreover, many organizations have been tired of fighting RTO battles and have moved on to more important priorities, allowing their employees more flexibility: thus, Amazon’s top-down policy stands out as a regressive approach likely to backfire.
Going Against the Grain
For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a year-over-year increase in the number of employees working from home, either some of the time or all the time, rising from 19.5% in August 2023 to 22.8% in August 2024. Among hybrid workers – those who work remotely only some of the time – the share climbed from 9.2% to 11.7% over the same period; those who worked remotely all the time increased to 11.1%, up from 10.3%. Government data, representing the best kind of evidence available, suggests that the large majority of employers, unlike Amazon, are moving away from rigid in-office requirements and embracing flexibility.
In large part, that’s because senior leaders across various industries have started to realize that the effort to monitor and enforce strict in-office attendance is often more trouble than it’s worth, as I have seen from clients who I helped determine their distributed work models. Instead of fostering collaboration and creativity, these mandates frequently lead to resentment and disengagement, as the opposition to heavy-handed in-office mandates has not subsided, leading companies to move on to more important priorities. Some organizations are even experiencing a “hushed hybrid” trend, where managers quietly agree with their teams to reduce in-office days, acknowledging the impracticality and inefficiency of enforcing stringent rules.
Additionally, employees come to the office only for superficial compliance, to meet with a colleague and drink a cup of coffee, known as “coffee badging,” thus rather complying with the letter of the law while undermining its spirit. No wonder that the 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard by traffic analysis firm INRIX Inc. observed significant changes in commuting patterns, with a decrease in peak morning and evening traffic congestion and an increase around midday.
The Mismatch Between Amazon’s Approach and Workplace Realities
Amazon’s return-to-office mandate, as outlined by Jassy, is built on the premise that proximity fosters productivity. Jassy argues that being physically present in the office enhances collaboration, brainstorming, and invention while reinforcing the company’s culture. This rationale is not unique; it echoes a broader, albeit increasingly outdated, belief among some executives that in-person work inherently drives better outcomes.
However, evidence suggests otherwise. Research increasingly points to hybrid work—not a full five-day office week—as the optimal balance for maximizing productivity and job satisfaction. A variety of studies, including one in Nature, one of the two most prominent scientific journals, have shown that hybrid work models, which combine remote and in-office work, lead to higher levels of employee performance and engagement. For instance, scholars find employees working in a hybrid model often experience fewer distractions and take fewer sick days than their fully in-office counterparts, leading to higher productivity. This approach also offers flexibility that helps attract and retain top talent—a significant factor for tech companies like Amazon. Forcing employees to come to the office five days a week ignores these benefits and the significant shift in employee expectations towards flexibility in their work environment.
The Realities of Office-Based Work
While Amazon’s leadership might envision bustling offices filled with spontaneous brainstorming sessions and serendipitous encounters, the reality of office-based work often looks quite different. Much of the work carried out by Amazon’s corporate employees—such as programming, research, data analysis, responding to emails, and participating in video conferences and phone calls—does not require in-person interaction. In fact, these tasks are often more effectively and efficiently performed in a remote setting, free from the distractions and time costs associated with commuting and navigating office politics.
The push for a full-time return to the office overlooks the fact that much of today’s knowledge work is independent rather than collaborative. Remote and hybrid models provide the quiet, uninterrupted environments necessary for deep, focused work. For example, software developers often need extended periods of concentration that are far easier to achieve outside the noisy and interruption-laden office environment. Similarly, roles that require heavy research, writing, or data analysis benefit from the kind of deep focus that is more achievable in a controlled home office setting. By forcing employees back into a one-size-fits-all model, Amazon risks reducing overall productivity rather than enhancing it.
Amazon’s decision to enforce a five-day in-office policy comes at a time when many companies are moving in the opposite direction, recognizing the importance of flexibility in today’s work environment. The company risks creating a significant disconnect between its leadership’s expectations and its employees’ preferences. This gap will lead to increased turnover, lower morale, and a potential loss of top talent who are drawn to more progressive companies that offer flexible work arrangements.
A Call for a More Nuanced Approach
If Amazon truly wants to maintain its competitive edge and continue to attract and retain top talent, it needs to reconsider its stance on workplace flexibility. A more nuanced approach that incorporates both the benefits of in-person collaboration and the advantages of remote work could yield far better results. Encouraging a hybrid model that allows employees to choose where they work based on their roles and responsibilities, rather than a blanket mandate, would likely foster a more engaged, productive, and satisfied workforce.
Key Take-Away
Amazon's new office-only policy challenges remote work trends, potentially alienating talent and increasing costs. As the workforce adapts to flexibility, this decision may hinder recruitment and retention efforts in the long run. Share on XImage credit: Christina Morillo/pexels
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with hybrid work and Generative AI. He serves as the CEO of the future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote seven best-selling books, and his two most recent ones are Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams and ChatGPT for Thought Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI for Innovative and Effective Content Creation. His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles and 550 interviews in Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, USA Today, CBS News, Fox News, Time, Business Insider, Fortune, The New York Times, and elsewhere. His writing was translated into Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Korean, French, Vietnamese, German, and other languages. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting, coaching, and speaking and training for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox. It also comes from over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist, with 8 years as a lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill and 7 years as a professor at Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.