Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has confirmed that the global tech giant has no plans to force its employees back into the office any time soon.
Following a work-from-home order in early 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Amazon previously hinted at an "office-centric culture" according to CNBC (opens in a new tab).
Well over a year later, in October 2021, managers had to decide what their employees' work routines would look like, but speaking at the recent code conference, Jassy said: "We don't have any plans to force people to go back. ".
Amazon back in the office
Looking ahead, he says the company will "proceed in an adaptive way as we learn," which may mean more flexibility for some teams of workers.
Hardware and creative units, for example, have already returned to the office to some extent, while engineers continue to show a bias toward remote work, Amazon CEO says.
"I think there are things that are harder to do remotely... I think it's a little bit harder to invent remotely," Jassy added.
Elsewhere, the pandemic has had lasting effects on how Amazon hires workers. Previously, the focus was on hiring workers in the areas where the company did its operations, but the company has expressed an openness to remote work and a greater tolerance for accepting workers from different locations.
The company's refreshing outlook differs a bit from many other tech giants, including Google and Apple, both of which have tidied up the office for a minimum of three days a week.
Tesla has also come under scrutiny in recent months following an email from CEO Elon Musk demanding all affected workers return to the office or they will be laid off.
Whether Amazon remains committed to the WFH lifestyle remains to be seen, but in the meantime it offers a much more attractive proposition to many workers.