Less Zoom Calls for Zoom Employees As They Zoom Back to Office
Updated: Dec 18, 2023
There's perhaps no greater telltale sign that fully remote work is over than Zoom summoning its staff back to the office.
The video conferencing company, which became synonymous with remote work during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, is reportedly requiring employees who live within a 50-mile radius of its offices to work onsite again for at least two days a week.
The return-to-work policy would be rolled out in August and September on a staggered timeline depending on the country.
"We believe that a structured hybrid approach –meaning employees that live near an office need to be on site two days a week to interact with their teams – is most effective for Zoom," a Zoom spokesperson said in a statement. "As a company, we are in a better position to use our own technologies, continue to innovate, and support our global customers."
The spokesperson also said the company plans to continue to leverage its video conferencing solutions to keep its employees and dispersed teams "connected and working efficiently".
According to a survey, up to 12% of Zoom's workers in its U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California were fully remote in July, while another 29% were on hybrid work arrangements.
Zoom also has a new office in the United Kingdom, where about 200 people are based.
As of January 2023, the company had about 8,400 people on its payroll, more than half of whom were based in the U.S.
Zoom joins a growing list of tech companies that are moving on from remote work arrangements. Meta, for example, recently told employees they have to report back to the office at least three days a week starting in September. Amazon has done the same, similarly asking staff to come in at least three days a week. Google and Salesforce are also among the tech companies that are rolling out return-to-office policies, despite not all employees approving of them.
Zoom announced that it's requiring employees who live within a 50-mile radius of its offices to work onsite again for at least two days a week.
The return-to-work policy would be rolled out in August and September on a staggered timeline depending on the country.
The tech company, however, plans to continue leveraging its video conferencing solutions to keep its employees and dispersed teams "connected and working efficiently".