Amazon mandating return to five days in office

• "When we look back over the last five years, we continue to believe that the advantages of being together in the office are significant," Jassy said.
• About 10% of the company's workforce signed a petition last year against Amazon's three-day office policy.
• The new expectation goes into effect on Jan. 2.

State of play: Jassy had already made clear that he prefers in-person work.

• Teams with regular in-person work have been more collaborative, connected and innovative, according to his new note.
• "If anything, the last 15 months we've been back in the office at least three days a week has strengthened our conviction about the benefits," he said.

What's next: Employees with an "extenuating circumstance" or with specific exceptions may continue to work remote or hybrid, per Jaffy's note.

• "We understand that some of our teammates may have set up their personal lives in such a way that returning to the office consistently five days per week will require some adjustments," Jassy said.

The big picture: The fully remote professional era driven by COVID is fading.

• Most workers have preferred hybrid work arrangements after years of fully remote work, according to an April report from Morning Consult.
• In July, nationwide office foot traffic hit its highest point since July 2019.

Zoom in: Amazon will also reconfigure its corporate structure by having fewer managers.

• The senior leadership teams will increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% by the end of March, Jassy said.

Go deeper: Whether you're back in the office may depend on where you live