Reintegrating employees into office environments, even after the pandemic has subsided, continues to present challenges for employers and employees alike. To address diverse demands and requirements, companies have responded with varied approaches. While Lenovo has embraced a hybrid work model, Amazon India has opted to recall its employees back to the office.

Here’s a quick glance into the world's top companies and their post-pandemic workplace strategies.

1. Adobe - hybrid work model

Adobe decided to embrace hybrid and flexible work models. It allowed its employees to work from home up to 50% of the time. Other than this, the company also let the number of employees who work remotely full-time to double. This was revealed by Gloria Chen, Adobe’s chief people officer. "The future of work at Adobe will be hybrid," Chen said in her post. 

2. Airbnb - remote work model

For a more optimistic work environment, Airbnb Inc allowed its workforce to be permanently able to work from anywhere — including their home, the office, or while traveling in different countries. Talking about the same, the firm’s CEO Brian Chesky said, “The world is becoming more flexible about where people can work. We see this in our own business. We wouldn't have recovered so quickly from the pandemic had it not been for millions of people working from Airbnbs.”

3. Amazon - hybrid work model 

Amazon initially made the decision for its employees to return to the office on a full-time basis. However, the company later reversed its decision and announced the implementation of a hybrid work model. In mid-February, Amazon released a blog post outlining its plans for returning to the office. According to the memo, starting in May 2023, all Amazon employees would be required to be in the office for a minimum of three days per week.

4. Apple - hybrid work model

Apple too made a decision to call its employees to work from the office. But later took a U-turn, following major resentment from the staff. In fact, Apple's head of machine learning left his high-paying job and joined Google because he was asked to report to the office at least three days a week. Understanding the issue of employees, the company delayed its three-day in-office work requirement. 

5. Canva - flexible work model

Embracing flexibility, Canva allowed its employees to work from anywhere they want. The company called the change part of its “long-term approach to the future of work,” where it will focus on flexibility and connection and abolish any formal rules around office attendance.

6. Citigroup – hybrid work model

Initially perceiving remote working as a potential threat, Citigroup eventually recognised the benefits of adopting a hybrid model. Last year, CEO Jane Fraser stated that the majority of roles within the bank would transition to a hybrid work arrangement, allowing Citigroup's staff to work remotely for up to two to three days per week.

However, in a recent statement released on Thursday, Citigroup revealed its intention to establish accountability among employees concerning compliance with the hybrid work model guidelines. The bank will conduct assessments to ensure that employees meet the mandatory requirement of working in the office for a minimum of three days per week.

7. Google – hybrid work model

After being among the first major tech companies to grant voluntary work-from-home options in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Google has now shifted its approach and intends to mandate its employees to return to the office for a minimum of three days per week. Google recently updated its hybrid work policy, implementing a requirement for most employees to be physically present at the company's offices. Additionally, Google has introduced attendance tracking through office badges and has included office attendance as a factor in employee reviews.

8. Lenovo - hybrid work model

One of the biggest tech firms, Lenovo, offered a flexible workplace option for employees, wherein workers will be required to be in the office three days a week. Just like Google, for the other two days, employees have the option to work remotely.

9. Meta (Facebook) - hybrid work model

Previously, Meta (previously known as Facebook) announced that only employees in senior positions would be eligible to request full-time remote work after the pandemic. However, Meta has now revised its policy, requiring employees to work from the company's offices three days a week starting in September. In June, the social networking giant began informing its employees about the updated remote work policy, clarifying that the changes would not affect existing employees who primarily work remotely.

10. Microsoft - hybrid work model

Microsoft has offered its employees to work from home part-time on a permanent basis. There will not be any need for the formal approval from their managers for the same. Not only this, the company will also cover home office expenses. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in his LinkedIn post that, “Hybrid work represents the biggest shift to how we work in our generation—and it’ll require a new operating model, spanning people, places, and processes”.

11. Reddit - hybrid work model

Taking a proactive approach, Reddit announced that it will switch to a hybrid workplace model permanently just six months after the pandemic. And since then, the firm’s entire workforce has been working flexibly, from wherever they want—office, home or a blend of both. 

12. Twitter - return to office

Twitter's work-from-anywhere forever policy was retained by Parag Agrawal, the former company CEO, who was recently fired by Elon Musk after his formal takeover. The new report adds that Twitter can make exceptions, and some employees can continue working from home if necessary. 

13. TCS- return to office

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) brings an end to permanent remote working for its employees, as the IT giant mandates a return to office desks. TCS employees, who had the privilege of 100% work-from-home, will now be required to come back to the office based on the requirements of their roles.

14. Uber - hybrid work model

Uber moved to a hybrid work model, after its employees asked for more flexibility over how and where they work. In response, the company gave their employees the choice to work from their preferred office location. 

2022 brought us chaos, but also the opportunity to review, renew, and advance. Read the end-2022 issue of People Matters Digital Magazine for a look back, and some key takeaways to bring forward.