Amazon.com Inc. is allowing its corporate and technology employees to continue working remotely, even after the coronavirus pandemic restrictions start to lift soon across the U.S.
The retail giant said those employees can work remotely two days a week and three days days in the office. In addition, they can work remotely from a domestic location for four full weeks each year. Amazon’s work policy update follows backlash from some employees to what they interpreted as the expectation they’d have to return to the office full time once states reopen in the U.S.
Read: LinkedIn, Microsoft embracing flex-work policy for post-pandemic life
Some tech companies had launched recruiting campaigns that seemed targeted in part at Amazon workers’ dismay over an end to remote work. Most Amazon employees will start heading back to offices as soon as local jurisdictions fully reopen stateside — July 1 in Washington state — with the majority of workers in offices by autumn, the company said previously.
The company’s new remote working plan is similar to other large tech companies. Google said last month it expected roughly 60 per cent of its workforce to come into the office a few days a week and for 20 per cent to work from home full time. Google also gave all employees the option to work remotely full time four weeks per year. Facebook Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have both said most workers can choose to stay remote.
Read: Google, IBM shifting employees to hybrid work model post-pandemic