Oracle’s NetSuite division is the latest tech company to call its workers back to the office, enforcing stricter rules about who can and cannot work from home.
Key Details
- Most NetSuite employees must return to the office beginning June 1, Bloomberg reports.
- Employees who live within a 45-minute commute of the office will be required to work in person at least two days a week. This will affect the majority of NetSuite employees.
- Newly hired or underperforming employees will be required to work from the office at least three days a week.
- In order to be a fully remote worker, employees must be meeting or exceeding the goals set by the company.
Why it’s news
As the tech industry continues to struggle, cutting costs and laying off workers, more tech companies are taking the opportunity to enforce in-person or hybrid work. Around 11,500 employees will be affected by NetSuite’s new policy, Bloomberg reports.
The Oracle unit has offices across the country in Boston, Chicago, and New York. It is still unclear if these new rules apply to all Oracle divisions.
NetSuite is far from the only tech company pushing return-to-work policies amid the string of tech layoffs. Amazon informed employees that they will return to work at least three days a week beginning in May. Even non-tech companies, like JPMorgan Chase, have told workers to return to the office full-time.
Companies that were once strong advocates of remote work, like Salesforce, are beginning to walk back remote work policies. Salesforce COO Brian Millham said the company is “just short” of implementing in-person work mandates, Bloomberg reports.
Even with stronger pushes to return to pre-pandemic work habits, office attendance in the largest U.S. cities has remained below 50% of pre-COVID capacities. In San Jose, a tech-focused city, office attendance hovers around 37%, according to Kastle Systems.
Backing up a bit
Employees all around the world are pushing for continued access to remote-work environments. A growing number of employees would rather quit their jobs than return to the office full-time—a trend that has a global foothold.
Around 73% of surveyed London employees told Bloomberg that they would rather quit their job than return to full-time, in-person work. Some would return—in exchange for significant pay increases.
London employers seem to be adjusting to employee desires as a growing number of companies are leasing out smaller office spaces. In France, the remote work debate revolves around a larger discussion focused on raising the national retirement age. A growing number of citizens are protesting the potential raise.
French government spokesman Oliver Veran may be trying to shift the national conversation to the less-controversial discussion about remote work to avoid further inflaming protests.
Meanwhile, in New York, Mayor Eric Adams is reconsidering his decision to compel city workers back to the office five days a week.