Google assures employees no immediate plans for five-day office return after Amazon's strict RTO policy

Google has assured employees that there are no immediate plans to require a five-day return to the office, addressing concerns stemming from Amazon's recent decision to mandate full-time office attendance.

Amazon's announcement last month requiring employees to work from the office five days a week sparked backlash and raised concerns among employees at other tech companies, particularly those with more flexible hybrid work models like Google.

During Google's recent "TGIF" all-hands meeting, employees raised concerns about the possibility of a similar mandate. John Casey, Vice President of Global Compensation and Benefits, assured staff that the current three-day in-office policy is working well and there are no plans to change it.

However, Casey stressed the importance of in-office presence for at least three days a week. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai added that maintaining productivity on work-from-home days is crucial for the company to sustain its flexible policy.

Despite these reassurances, some Google employees remain wary of a potential future shift towards a full-time office return. Pichai's mention of certain teams, such as hardware, already working four days a week has fueled anxieties.

"People are concerned because Google chases the industry," said one employee, expressing a belief that the company tends to follow industry trends.

Google's data-driven culture and focus on productivity metrics leave some employees concerned that any perceived drop in performance could trigger a policy change. Recent research, however, suggests that hybrid work models can boost job satisfaction and retention without compromising productivity.

Despite these findings, some companies, like Dell, have followed Amazon's lead, mandating a five-day office return for sales teams. Microsoft, while maintaining its hybrid model for now, has indicated it might reconsider if productivity declines.

Google has reportedly become stricter in monitoring employee adherence to the three-day in-office requirement. The company has also implemented hot-desking in some offices and is piloting new "neighbourhoods" workspaces with flexible seating arrangements.