Marissa Mayer, the new CEO of Yahoo, has decided to change a corporate policy that the company is well known for.
Beginning in June all Yahoo employees must show up at their respective physical offices and can no longer work remotely, a perk many technical workers at the company have enjoyed for some time.
According to an internal memo discovered by Kara Swisher of All Things D’s, Mayer’s memo read:
“To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices. Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.â€
This radical change has reportedly lead to “strong†anger by employees who are affected by the policy. Many Yahoo employees have noted they joined the company because of their flexibility regarding telecommuting. The change will apply to several hundred employees, including those who work from home only a day or two each week.
Some believe that the move is a cost-cutting one that will force unproductive employees to resign. Other companies are using this change in policy as a chance to poach away talent.
WordPress CEO Matt Mullenweg wrote:  “For anyone who enjoys working from wherever they like in the world, and is interested in WordPress, Automattic is 100% committed to being distributed. 130 of our 150 people are outside of San Francisco.â€
It’s unclear if the move will save Yahoo, a company that needs a major turnaround to stay profitable or force workers out. A Yahoo spokesperson said the company does not speak on internal matters.
Read More: All Things D