Following today’s announcement that Amazon will require its employees to work from the office at least three days per week effective May 1, Seattle Metro Chamber President & CEO Rachel Smith issued the following statement:
Amazon’s decision to bring workers back into the downtown core at least three days a week is a welcome demonstration of community leadership, and it will provide a much-needed boost for Seattle’s local businesses and help reinvigorate downtown.
Employers like Amazon are – rightly – recognizing and honoring that employees are placing a premium on flexibility, while at the same time understanding that humans are an essential element of dynamic workplaces, downtowns, and neighborhoods.
We are encouraging all employers to be intentional and thoughtful in their return-to-office decisions, and to ask: what do you really need as an employer, what do your employees need, what do your customers need, and what does your community need?
In addition to more workers returning to the office, we need the city council to join Mayor Bruce Harrell with a laser-like focus on addressing public safety, developing a retail strategy for downtown, implementing creative ideas to boost arts and culture, and putting together a real estate approach that includes policies to attract and retain businesses, keep buildings occupied, and incentivize new construction.
And we need to celebrate all the things that are going to transform our region in the next 10 years: from the MLB All-Star game and FIFA World Cup, to the waterfront park and pier projects, to the opening of three new light rail lines. These moments together will define our progress in the region.