Uber asks employees to return to office 3 days a week, changes sabbatical policy too

Uber

Uber employees have been asked to return to the office 3 days a week and they are not too happy about it.During a recent meeting, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was met with strong pushback from employees after announcing some policy changes. Beginning in June, employees will need to be in the office three days a week, up from the current two. Additionally, the company has updated its sabbatical policy, now requiring eight years of service—rather than five—for workers to qualify for a month-long paid break.

According to a CNBC report, the mood at the April 29 meeting was tense, with employees flooding the company’s internal forum with tough questions. Many felt blindsided, especially those who had already planned trips based on their now-ineligible sabbaticals.

One employee asked, “How is five years of service not considered tenure—especially when burnout is rampant?” Khosrowshahi’s response was blunt: “If you’re here for a sabbatical and this change causes you to change your mind, it is what it is.”

He noted that the goal behind these changes is to boost learning, collaboration, and the company’s overall impact. “This is a risk we decided to take,” he said. He insisted it wasn’t about cutting costs or pushing people out. “It has nothing to do with attrition or layoffs,” he said. “The business is operating really well. But good isn’t good enough—we want to be great.”

Uber told CNBC that in-person work is better for company culture and innovation. But many employees aren’t buying it, especially after similar moves by other tech giants like Google, which recently told some remote workers to return to avoid being caught in layoffs.

After years of cushy perks and remote freedom, companies are tightening the reins—and workers aren’t taking it quietly.