This is the public version of the Forbes Career Newsletter. Click here to subscribe and get it delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.
According to Business Insider, Amazon employees in New York, Houston, Atlanta, and Nashville may not be able to return to the office full-time until May. (Photo credit: Artur Widak/NurPhoto, Getty Images)
NurPhoto (from Getty Images)
Weeks before Amazon employees return to the office five days a week, some employees are being asked to continue working at least partially remotely due to a lack of office space, Business Insider reports.
Amazon made news earlier this year when it announced it would begin a full RTO starting January 2nd, much to the chagrin of some employees. About 500 employees sent a letter to AWS CEO Matt Garman in October protesting the mandate, while others were “furious” about other jobs with more flexibility. I started applying.
For now, all such complaints are likely to be put on hold, at least for Amazon’s employees based in its Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, and New York offices. A real estate team memo seen by Business Insider says the delay could last until May.
While we reported on a cool return to the office after Labor Day this year, 2025 is already setting new trends when it comes to RTO obligations. According to Flex Index’s fourth-quarter report, 32% of U.S. companies, including Dell, Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post and Walmart, have implemented five-day work-in-office policies. Despite the high-profile name, that percentage is still lower than the 43% of companies that offer “structured hybrid” policies that require employees to come into the office a set number of days each week or quarter.
When it comes to programming, this will be the last career newsletter of the year. Thank you for joining us every Tuesday. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy your vacation to the fullest. It will be back in your inbox in 2025.
If you have not yet completed the PS Feedback Survey, you can do so here. It takes less than 2 minutes!
work smarter
Practical insights and advice from Forbes staff and contributors to help you succeed at work, accelerate your career, and lead smarter.
Do you have holiday blues? Here are 7 ways to prevent them.
If you’re job hunting during the holidays, don’t make these mistakes.
Take a look at the top 5 destinations for digital nomads in 2025.
touch base
News from the world of work
David Jeans reported that Silicon Valley is stepping up President Trump’s fight to preserve U.S. manufacturing jobs. Top venture capital firms including General Catalyst, Palantir and 8VC are backing the New American Industry Alliance, a lobbying industry group advised by former Trump administration officials.
Private tutoring is one of the most popular side jobs for young professionals, and they usually go through an agency to reach a larger client base. One such group, Forum Education, is instead positioning itself as an elite recruitment agency for academics, reports Emma Whitford. Some of the most popular tutors charge private school tutors $1,000 per hour and earn up to $1 million a year.
Is banking a new technology? Computer science majors and technology employees are increasingly flocking to financial services jobs, and companies are seeking talent to help build AI and cybersecurity products.
Starbucks will triple paid parental leave for baristas starting in March, Bloomberg reported. The coffee chain will give birth parents 18 weeks of paid leave, six weeks at the average wage. Parents who have not given birth will also be entitled to 12 weeks of paid parental leave. The increase is unusual in the retail industry, where only 2% of companies that disclose their policies offer similar leave.
Are robots already taking over your job? Not quite, but one company is getting close. Humanoid robot maker Figure released its second model on Monday, making it the second company to put robots to work in customer warehouses and factories.
Number to note down
178
This is a record number of temporary foreign workers that the Trump Organization aims to hire in 2024. When Donald Trump takes office in January, his companies could employ up to 132 foreign nationals.
video
From CEO to CFO: A look back at the most powerful women in 2024
quiz
A recent Senate report found that the retail giant manipulated injury data to make its warehouses appear safer than it actually was and ignored internal reports linking injuries to speed and productivity quotas. (Although the company denies forced execution.)
A. Walmart
B. Target
C.Costco
D.Amazon
Please check if I understood correctly here.
