Amazon’s five-day in-office mandate feels like forced attrition—because it is.
For knowledge workers, flexibility has become the new gold standard of employee benefits. It offers a more modern way to work, especially in how people structure their day. For me, it’s about having the freedom to adapt to life’s demands while still getting meaningful work done. That might mean starting at 5 a.m. and finishing early in the afternoon, or breaking up the day to fit the needs of my family. I know people who work a few hours in the evening after their kids are asleep, trading those hours for time during the day to focus on non-work-related tasks. However you structure it, the ability to work when it makes the most sense for you is a tremendous advantage.
For knowledge workers, flexibility has become the new gold standard of employee benefits. It offers a more modern way to work, especially in how people structure their day. For me, it’s about having the freedom to adapt to life’s demands while still getting meaningful work done. That might mean starting at 5 a.m. and finishing early in the afternoon, or breaking up the day to fit the needs of my family. I know people who work a few hours in the evening after their kids are asleep, trading those hours for time during the day to focus on non-work-related tasks. However you structure it, the ability to work when it makes the most sense for you is a tremendous advantage.
This more modern way of working unlocks what I call "micro-moments"—small, meaningful activities made possible by this flexibility. I’ve been able to go on lunch bike rides with my kids, take my dog to the vet, and handle things around the house that would have been difficult, if not impossible, with a traditional office job. Quite frankly, they just never happened before. Either I wasn't around or didn't have the energy once I got home. Typically employees have to use PTO, sacrificing vacation time simply because their day didn’t fit neatly into an 8-to-5 schedule. That feels like a legacy way to work. These moments add up over time, especially the time you give back time to your family. It’s hard to overstate just how impactful that can be.
I didn’t fully appreciate remote work until I experienced its benefits firsthand this summer. That said, I’m not suggesting that in-office work is unnecessary or a bad way to run a company. I still believe it’s important to bring teams together in person. However, the right cadence depends on the needs of each team and organization. Basecamp does it once or twice a year. Seems to work for them! For some companies, being in the same location every day is critically important. Just look at what companies like SpaceX or Tesla have achieved recently—then try to argue that all five-day in-office mandates are inherently bad. If you believe in the mission and want to be in the office, more power to you! But for most companies, if you're going to have employees in the office, a hybrid structure—three days in, two days wfh, or vice versa—strikes the right balance. Nearly everyone I’ve hired or spoken with in the last two years agrees that this mix provides the flexibility that makes a real difference in their lives.
And for those who think employees need to be in the office to stay productive or that's how you make sure they are getting their work done -- remote work is not the problem. Focus on hiring the right people and shaping your processes and management structures for a modern workforce.
Ethan Evans has some recent perspective on the Amazon RTO mandate... check it out!
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ethanevansvp_amazon-now-has-a-5-day-in-office-mandate-activity-7251271728109142016-H-gS?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ethanevansvp_amazon-now-has-a-5-day-in-office-mandate-activity-7251271728109142016-H-gS?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop