Zoom, the popular virtual meeting company, has announced a very ironic new rule for its employees.
The platform, which exploded into popularity during the coronavirus pandemic and has continued to thrive with companies working remotely, has changed its tune for its own workers.
Zoom’s chief human resources officer, Matthew Saxon, recently implemented a new rule that would require employees who live within 50 miles of an office to work from there twice a week.
In the US, Zoom has four offices: its headquarters in San Jose, California, and three other locations in Santa Barbara, Denver, Colorado, and Kansas City.
Saxon, who joined the $17.3 billion company in 2022, revealed that within a week the new rule dramatically changed the workplace dynamic for Zoom employees.
Zoom, the popular virtual meeting company, has announced that employees will have to return to work in the office. (photo: File image)
Zoom’s chief people officer, Matthew Saxon, and his colleagues recently implemented a new policy requiring employees who live within 50 miles of an office to work from there twice a week.
‘We’ve seen a revolution, honestly, in how we work, and I’m not just talking about Zoom.
“I’m talking about moving from surviving to thriving, and I think we’ve generally met the requirements, as a society, of whether we can survive remotely. The question is still up in the air as to whether we can thrive and what that looks like now,” Saxon said. Fortune.
He added that while the company is known for connecting people virtually, many of the designs and features are actually created in the office.
Saxon, who joined the $17.3 billion company in 2022, revealed that within a week the new rule had dramatically changed the dynamics of the workplace.
Saxon also mentioned how customers range from workers who work from home to those who are in the office full-time.
‘We have clients who work completely in the office, others who work completely remote, and all types of hybrids in between.
“We want to make sure we’re very customer-centric; that means really understanding the customer’s use case and their pain points,” he said.
Despite requiring employees to come into the office twice a week, Saxon will continue to work from home in Austin, Texas.
‘I feel I can manage people on Zoom effectively while working completely remotely.
Saxon said that while the company is known for connecting people virtually, many of the designs and features are actually created in the office.
“I go into the office from time to time, obviously, for my role, but most of the time I’m at home,” he told Fortune.
He explained that the initiative to have employees in the office was introduced so that coworkers can collaborate together in meetings and training sessions.
Saxon stressed that he believes that those who come into the office should only work on group tasks, otherwise it would be the same as working from home.
‘A little in-person work from time to time can go a long way, but again we found people coming into the office to do their individual contribution work.
“In that case, there’s no real difference if you’re on a Zoom call,” he added.
He made sure to emphasize that employees who choose to work independently are equally valuable to the company.
Saxon also said he has seen the direct impact on employees and managers who work face-to-face in the office.
‘Proximity bias certainly exists. I think it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that there’s a quality flow of information so that things like asynchronous work can happen.
“We also need to make sure we have some degree of reporting and metrics.”
Staying up to date with metrics can help make it fair for both home- and office-based employees when it comes time for raises and promotions.
When employees asked him why they needed to return to the office, Saxon said he was honest with them.
‘We had a good, honest conversation about our products, our customer base and how we will improve.
Saxon also said he’s seen the direct impact employees and their bosses experience when they’re face-to-face in the office.
“When we had a more laissez-faire approach to coming in on certain days, it wasn’t optimized enough, and we heard that from employees. So we said, ‘Okay, let’s try this different model.’ I think it’s been a huge success,” Saxon said.
The company previously announced the same rule for UK employees in August 2023.
The company has a workforce of between 5,000 and 10,000 employees, according to its LinkedIn page, and around 200 of them work in its new office in London, UK.
A company spokesperson previously said: ‘We believe a structured hybrid approach – meaning a set number of days that employees who live close to an office must be on-site – is most effective for Zoom.
“As a company, we are better positioned to leverage our own technologies, continue to innovate and support our global customers.”
The company also has offices in India, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Amsterdam and Karlsruhe in Europe.
In February, the company’s CEO, Eric Yuan (pictured), cut Zoom’s workforce by 15 percent, or about 1,300 employees. He also cut his own $1.1 million salary by 98 percent.
In February, the company’s CEO, Eric Yuan, cut Zoom’s workforce by 15 percent, or about 1,300 employees. He also cut his own $1.1 million salary by 98 percent.
Yuan, who founded the company in 2013, said the layoffs affected all departments of the company and that laid-off employees will receive up to 16 weeks of pay and health care coverage.
In his message to employees posted 30 minutes before the emails were sent, Yuan wrote: ‘We have made the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our team by approximately 15 percent and say goodbye to around 1,300 talented and hard-working colleagues.
“I know it’s a difficult message to hear and certainly not one I ever wanted to convey.”