Amazon mandates five-day office return starting January 2025

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — E-commerce giant Amazon announced a major shift in its return-to-office policy on Monday, stating that employees will be required to work from the office five days a week starting January 2, 2025.
The new mandate replaces the previous hybrid model, which had allowed employees to work in the office three days a week.
New office attendance policy
In a memo sent to Amazon employees, CEO Andy Jassy explained the rationale behind the decision.
“When we look back over the last five years, we continue to believe that the advantages of being together in the office are significant,” he said.
“We’ve observed that it’s 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.”
While the policy is firm, Amazon will consider exceptions for “extenuating circumstances,” which must be approved by senior leadership.
Amazon’s organizational restructuring
In addition to the office attendance mandate, Amazon is implementing changes to its corporate structure. The company aims to:
- Reduce the number of managers
- Increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% by Q1 2025
- Flatten organizations to reduce bureaucracy
Jassy explained, “We want to operate like the world’s largest startup,” emphasizing the need for passion, urgency, and scrappiness in the company’s approach.
Employee reactions and business implications
This shift comes amid ongoing debates about remote work policies in the tech industry. Last year, Amazon employees in Seattle staged a walkout protesting changes to the company’s climate policy, layoffs, and a return-to-office mandate.
On the other hand, businesses are optimistic about Amazon’s new policy, calling it a “home run.”
“Bringing people back five days per week is going to be great for small businesses, restaurants and arts and culture, and will add to the overall vibrancy of downtown,” said Jon Scholes, president of the business-oriented Downtown Seattle Association.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s spokesperson Jamie Housen shared that the mayor is “excited about how this announcement will further make these neighborhoods vibrant places where people are out and about.”