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Uber is enforcing a stricter office attendance policy, informing staff this week that remote work approvals are being scaled back and office presence will be mandatory three days per week.
In a memo shared with staff on Monday, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the shift reflects a broader strategy aimed at increasing performance across the organisation.
“As we head into this next chapter, I want to emphasize that ‘good’ is not going to be good enough. We need to be great,” he wrote.
Effective from June, employees will be required to work in the office Tuesday through Thursday. The new policy builds on the current “anchor days” model introduced in 2022, where Tuesdays and Thursdays were designated for in-office presence. Uber says it has already informed those whose remote work status has been revoked.
Sabbatical eligibility extended to eight years
The company also announced changes to its paid sabbatical programme. Previously offered after five years of service, eligibility will now begin at eight years. Khosrowshahi said the original scheme was introduced when longer tenures were less common and working five or more days in the office was standard.
“This program was created when Uber was a much younger company, when reaching five years of tenure was a rare feat,” he wrote, adding that the Work from Anywhere policy, introduced later, had already changed the nature of employee flexibility.
The updated policy generated immediate feedback from staff on Uber’s internal communication platform. Employees questioned the rationale behind altering the sabbatical criteria and urged leadership to maintain the original terms. One employee wrote, “This isn’t ‘doing the right thing’ for your employees.”
Collaboration and speed at the heart of policy shift
Khosrowshahi maintained that in-person collaboration will be crucial to Uber’s next phase of growth.
“While remote work has some benefits, being in the office fuels collaboration, sparks creativity, and increases velocity,” he said.
The leadership team will track attendance by team and individual, he added, to ensure expectations are met.
Last year, Khosrowshahi blamed remote work for the loss of its most loyal customers, who would use ride-sharing as their commute to work.
“After a thorough review of our existing remote approvals, we’re asking many remote employees to come into an office. In addition, we’ll hire new remote roles only very sparingly,” Khosrowshahi said.
Uber’s decision mirrors a growing trend among tech companies to reevaluate post-pandemic working models. Google recently issued a similar mandate, asking previously approved remote employees to return to office settings.
The company's next all-hands meeting will be led by Khosrowshahi and Chief People Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy, who are expected to address employee concerns and outline the rationale behind the updated work model and benefits structure.
As companies seek to balance flexibility with operational efficiency, HR leaders will be watching closely to see how these return-to-office mandates impact workforce morale and retention.
