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On Monday, Uber announced to its employees that a new policy will require them to work from the office three days a week, impacting even those who had previously been granted remote work permissions, as reported by CNBC.
In the memo shared with employees, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated, “Even as the external environment remains dynamic, we’re on solid footing, with a clear strategy and big plans. As we head into this next chapter, I want to emphasize that ‘good’ is not going to be good enough — we need to be great.”
Khosrowshahi urged employees to challenge themselves, enabling the company to “move faster and take smarter risks,” while outlining several updates to Uber’s work policy.
Previously, in 2022, Uber had designated Tuesdays and Thursdays as “anchor days,” requiring most employees to spend a significant portion of their time in the office. Starting in June, the policy will shift to require employees to be in the office from Tuesday through Thursday, impacting even those who had been authorized for remote work. According to the memo, affected employees have already been notified.
“After a thorough review of our existing remote approvals, we’re asking many remote employees to come into an office,” Khosrowshahi mentioned. “In addition, we’ll hire new remote roles only very sparingly.”
Moreover, the company has modified its paid sabbatical program. Previously, employees could take a one-month sabbatical after five years of service; this eligibility has now been extended to eight years. Khosrowshahi explained that this change reflects the company’s evolution, noting, “This program was created when Uber was a much younger company, and when reaching five years of tenure was a rare feat.”
Khosrowshahi believes that these adjustments will help Uber enhance its pace of operations. He articulated, “Our collective view as a leadership team is that while remote work has some benefits, being in the office fuels collaboration, sparks creativity, and increases velocity.”
The announcement follows a trend in the tech sector, where companies are reevaluating their workforce strategies after over-hiring during the pandemic. Recently, Google has also mandated that previously remote employees return to the office to retain their roles, as CNBC reported.
Last year, Khosrowshahi attributed challenges in retaining loyal customers to the shift towards remote work, as these users typically relied on ride-sharing for their commutes.
“Going forward, we’re further raising this bar,” the memo reiterated. Khosrowshahi noted that attendance will be monitored at both team and individual levels to ensure compliance with the new expectations.
Following the memo’s release, many Uber employees quickly turned to the company’s internal forum to voice their concerns. Khosrowshahi and Nikki Krishnamurthy, the chief people officer, have scheduled an all-hands meeting for Tuesday to address these changes.
Numerous employees expressed hopes that the decision regarding the sabbatical change would be reconsidered, emphasizing the importance of honoring existing policies. One employee remarked, “This isn’t ‘doing the right thing’ for your employees.”
As of now, Uber has not provided additional comments on these developments.
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