Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has announced a significant shift in the company’s work policy, mandating that all employees return to the office five days a week starting January 2, 2025. This new directive marks a departure from the current hybrid model, which requires employees to be in the office at least three days per week.

In his message to Amazon’s 1.5 million employees, Jassy emphasized that the move to full-time in-office work is intended to enhance collaboration, strengthen the company culture, and improve overall productivity. He argued that the pre-pandemic office environment was more conducive to teamwork, learning, and innovation.

“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,” Jassy stated in his announcement.

Despite the push for a full return to the office, Jassy acknowledged that exceptions would be made for specific circumstances such as illness, emergencies, or business travel. However, these cases will be the exception rather than the norm.

The new policy will also bring back assigned desk arrangements, a practice that was phased out during the pandemic. This change is part of Amazon’s broader strategy to recreate the work environment that existed before COVID-19, focusing on strengthening its internal culture and driving performance.

Since February 2023, Amazon employees have been required to work from the office at least three days a week. The move to a full five-day in-office workweek reflects a broader trend among major companies, such as Salesforce and Walmart, which have also tightened their return-to-office policies.

Jassy’s announcement comes amid a climate where some executives secretly hope stricter return-to-office mandates will lead to attrition among employees resistant to returning full-time. A July report from Bamboo HR highlighted that one in four executives harbored such hopes.

“Strengthening our culture remains a top priority for the s-team [senior leadership team] and me. And, I think about it all the time,” Jassy wrote. “We want to operate like the world’s largest startup.”

As Amazon prepares to implement this new policy, employees will have to adjust to the revised expectations, marking a significant shift in the post-pandemic work landscape.