Amazon will allow its employees to work remotely indefinitely

SEATTLE (AP) – Amazon said on Monday it would allow many technicians and company workers to continue working remotely indefinitely, as long as they can get to the office if needed.

The new policy was announced in a blog post and is a change from Amazon’s previous expectation that most employees should be in the office at least three days a week when offices reopen after the COVID pandemic -19 in January.

The Seattle Times reported Monday’s post was signed by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and said company directors would have the discretion to allow the teams they manage to continue working. from a distance.

“We expect there will be teams who will continue to work primarily remotely, others who will work remotely and in the office, and still others who will decide that clients are best served if the team is working. mainly in the office, â€Jassy wrote.

Most of the online retail giant’s more than one million global employees around the world cannot work remotely as they work in the fulfillment and transportation division of the company, entering orders and delivering them to customers.

But about 50,000 technical and office workers work at the company’s sprawling headquarters on the downtown Seattle campus and in the South Lake Union neighborhood. Their absence will adversely affect restaurants and other businesses nearby.

Amazon’s update to its return to work policy followed similar steps from other big tech companies. Microsoft announced last month that it has indefinitely postponed reopening its offices.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.