Remote work canceled, management changes… Uber reshuffles its plans

Uber has informed employees, including some who were previously approved to work remotely, that it will require them to come into the office three days a week, CNBC has learned.

“Even as the external environment continues to be dynamic, we are moving forward with a clear strategy and big plans,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a memo seen by CNBC. “As we head into this next chapter, I want to emphasize that ‘good’ will never be good enough—we need to be better.”

Khosrowshahi went on to say that employees need to push themselves so the company can “move faster and take smarter risks” and outlined several changes to Uber’s work policy.

In 2022, Uber has designated Tuesdays and Thursdays as “temporary work days,” with most employees required to spend at least half of their time in the company’s offices. Starting in June, employees will be required to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday, according to the memo. This includes some employees who were previously approved to work remotely. The company noted that it has notified affected employees. Khosrowshahi emphasized in his memo, “After a comprehensive review of our existing remote work arrangements, we are requiring many remote employees to report to the office.

In addition, we will be hiring very few new remote employees.” The company has also modified its paid annual leave program, according to the memo.

Previously, employees were eligible for paid annual leave after five years of service. This has now been increased to eight years, according to the memo.

“This program was created when Uber was new, and reaching five years of work experience was a rare achievement. Back then, we worked in the office five days (sometimes more!) a week, and we hadn’t implemented the work-from-anywhere feature,” Khosrowshahi said.

Khosrowshahi noted that these changes will help Uber move faster. “As a leadership team, we all see that while remote work has some benefits, being in the office fosters collaboration, drives creativity, and increases velocity,” Khosrowshahi wrote.