Amazon Australia has launched a crackdown on WFH and workers who don’t come into the office three days a week are unlikely to get promoted.
The US tech company has introduced a global rule that means employees won’t get promoted unless they come into the office three days a week – unless they get additional approval from leadership. AFR weekend reported.
“Promotions are one of the many ways we support employee growth and development, and there are several factors we consider when determining whether an employee is ready for the next level,” said Amazon spokeswoman Jess Makin.
“Like any other company, we expect employees considered for promotion to adhere to company guidelines and policies.”
Amazon Australia has launched a crackdown on WFH and workers who don’t come into the office three days a week are unlikely to get promoted
Amazon Australia employs around 7,000 people and staff were told earlier this year they would be expected to be in the office at least three days a week from May.
The company argued at the time that employees were more likely to improve their skills if they were surrounded by colleagues.
“It is easier to learn, model, practice and strengthen our culture when we are in the office together most of the time and surrounded by our colleagues,” CEO AndyJassy said at the time.
“It’s especially true for new people (and we’ve hired a lot of people during the pandemic); but it also applies to people of all tenures at Amazon.”
Amazon joins a number of major companies encouraging staff to return to the office following the increase in WFH during and after the Covid pandemic.
ANZ employees were told this week that their bonuses could be reduced if they don’t come into the office for more than half their working time.
The company believes that employees are more likely to improve their skills when they are surrounded by colleagues (file photo)
Meanwhile, Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart, recently bought a $240 million office building in Brisbane, a sign the mining magnate expects staff to return to the office in greater numbers.
It comes after a poll of Australian bosses showed the majority think the days of working from home are numbered.
A global survey of more than 1,300 CEOs conducted by consultancy KPMG found two-thirds of Australian bosses believed traditional white-collar roles would mean a full-time return to the office within three years.
Only a minority thought jobs would remain a hybrid separation between home and office, as is now the case for many city workers.
And those who enjoy the flexibility of the occasional ‘WFH’ day may want to reconsider: a whopping 75 percent of Australian CEOs said they would reward employees who put in the extra effort to come into the office in terms of salary increases, promotions and more. interesting work.
Another survey found that nearly 40 percent of senior executives planned to differentiate wages between remote and in-office workers in the next three to five years.
A further 13 per cent went further and said homeworkers would see not only their wages fall, but also their working conditions, according to the global poll by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.