In a bit of irony, Zoom, the videoconferencing giant that powered remote work through the pandemic, is telling its employees that they must return to the office.
The software company has said that all employees who live within 50 miles of one of its office locations must return to the office for at least two days a week, in what it is calling a “structured hybrid approach” that is “most effective” for the company’s productivity.
See also: Verizon is shutting down BlueJeans
In a statement, Zoom said:
“As a company, we are in a better position to use our own technologies, continue to innovate, and support our global customers. We’ll continue to leverage the entire Zoom platform to keep our employees and dispersed teams connected and working efficiently.”
Zoom isn’t alone in asking employees to trek back in to the office, though. Recently, companies like Google and Amazon have received public pushback from employees that have grown accustomed to working from home through the pandemic, citing a better work-life balance as well as increased productivity.
See also: Google attempts to lure workers back to the office with $99 nightly special for on-campus hotel
In an earnings call earlier this year, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan told investors, “I think hybrid work is going to stay. To let employees work anywhere has sort of become a fashion. It’s hard to force employees back.”
