Even Zoom is ordering workers back to the office

Zoom, the company that pioneered the work-from-home era during the pandemic, has ordered its employees to come back to the office.

The company has told employees to travel to work at least two days a week. This policy will only apply to those who live within a commutable distance from the office – within 50 miles (80km).

The in-office working mandate is part of what the company calls a “structured hybrid approach”. It will affect Zoom’s some 8,000 employees at 12 office worldwide, including the about 200 people at its new London offices.

Zoom’s popularity wanes post-pandemic

Zoom has been experiencing its own difficulties after demand decreased post pandemic. In February, the company cut roughly 15% of its staff.

Its share price rose from $89 (£70) before the start of the pandemic, to a staggering $559 in October 2020. This due to millions of workers being forced to work from home. But shares have since fallen to $68 as people make their way back to offices.

Despite the irony, Zoom is not the only tech company that has demanded its employees to return to the office. In recent months, Amazon and Google have implemented similar mandates. Even the White House has been tackling remote work. Bringing an end to the pandemic-era approach to work. However, businesses have faces some backlash from employees who grew accustomed to greater flexibility.

‘A structured hybrid approach’

“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 to CBS MoneyWatch.

“As a company, we are in a better position to use our own technologies, continue to innovate, and support our global customers.”

Zoom said the new policy would come into effect in August and September, on a staggered timeline, that varies by country.