Tech

Amazon extends work from home order until January 8

Key Points
  • Amazon has told staff who can work from home to do so until Jan. 8.
  • It comes after Amazon in May pushed back its return to work deadline to at least Oct. 2.
Nikol Szymul staffs a reception desk at Amazon offices discretely tucked into a building called Fiona in downtown Seattle, Washington on May 11, 2017.
Getty Images

Amazon said it is allowing employees who can work from home to do so until Jan. 8., once again extending the timeline on a return to work for many of its employees. 

"We continue to prioritize the health of our employees and follow local government guidance," an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC. "Employees who work in a role that can effectively be done from home are welcome to do so until January 8."

The spokesperson added that Amazon has invested "significant funds and resources" to ensure the safety of employees who choose to come to the office, via social distancing measures, deep cleaning, temperature checks and by providing face masks and hand sanitizer.

It comes after Amazon in May said employees who could do their jobs remotely are permitted to do so until at least Oct. 2.

Tech companies including Facebook, Google and Apple have said they don't expect employees to return to the office before the end of the year. Twitter has allowed employees to work from home "forever" if they wish.

Amazon didn't specify how much of the company's workforce would be impacted by the order, but said the new policy is "global guidance." The company said it had 840,400 full and part-time staff at the end of the last quarter. 

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