Uber to Require Office Attendance Only 50% of Work Hours... Introducing 'Hybrid Model'

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Uber, the No. 1 ride-hailing company in the U.S., is introducing a 'hybrid model' this fall, where employees are required to work from the office only 50% of their working hours. This new work model is attracting attention as it emerges amid increasing conflicts between employers and employees, with more companies announcing office returns due to expanded vaccination.

On the 29th (local time), Uber's Chief People Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy announced through a blog post, "We will implement a hybrid office return model starting this fall."

The hybrid model means employees only need to come to the office for 50% of their total working hours, offering much greater autonomy compared to other flexible work arrangements.

For example, employees can work in the office all week and then work from home the following week, or come to the office three days one week and two days the next.

The days and hours employees come to the office can be appropriately distributed by the employees themselves or their teams.

Uber has added flexibility by allowing employees to choose their preferred office location. They can select a convenient office designated as a 'team hub' to commute to.

Uber’s guidelines have drawn attention as more companies are rushing to return to the office amid expanded vaccination efforts.

Earlier, JP Morgan Chase, the largest bank in the U.S., strongly recommended vaccination to all employees nationwide and plans to resume office attendance for all employees by the 6th of next month. Deutsche Bank in Germany notified 1,500 U.S.-based employees that they must return to the office by early September. Goldman Sachs has also announced office returns for its employees.

Not only on Wall Street but also on the opposite side of the continent in Silicon Valley, companies are accelerating office returns. Apple announced that starting early September, employees are expected to come to the office three days a week.

Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees, "Most employees should come to the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and can work remotely on Wednesday and Friday."

However, many American workers do not welcome a '100% return to normal.' While they miss pre-pandemic life, they find office work stressful and suffer from traffic congestion and wearing suits.

According to a recent survey by Morning Consult of 1,000 American adults regarding remote work, 39% of respondents said they would consider quitting their job if their boss was not flexible about remote work.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.