Amazon workers expected to be in person 'majority of the time,' CEO says

CEO Andy Jassy said there will be minor exceptions to the rule

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wants employees back in the office "the majority of the time." 

Starting May 1, employees will be expected to come into the office at least three days a week, Jassy, who replaced Jeff Bezos at the helm of the company in 2021, said in a note to employees on Friday. 

There will be some exceptions to this, "but that will be a small minority," Jassy said in the note. 

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It's been three years since the Seattle-based e-commerce giant told all of its employees who were able to work from home to do so, given how rapidly the virus was spreading throughout communities. 

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FILE PHOTO: The logo of Amazon is pictured inside the company's office in Bengaluru, India, April 20, 2018. REUTERS/Abhishek N. Chinnappa/File Photo (REUTERS/Abhishek N. Chinnappa/File Photo / Reuters Photos)

As cases of the virus started to wane, the company updated its policy a few times. In 2021, director-level leaders were able to decide where they wanted their teams to work. 

Jassy said the company decided earlier this week that it wanted to bring employees back most days. 

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When employees are in person, they "tend to be more engaged, observant, and attuned to what’s happening in the meetings and the cultural clues being communicated," Jassy said.  

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Being in-person also makes it easier for leaders to teach and for employees to ask questions, the Amazon chief said. 

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"It’s easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture when we’re in the office together most of the time and surrounded by our colleagues," Jassy said, adding that its culture is the most critical part of its success. 

He noted that the company has not "worked out all the execution details yet" but he wanted to give employees a heads-up well in advance.