Oracle’s NetSuite Orders Return to Office as Tech Wavers on Remote Work

(Bloomberg) -- Oracle Inc.’s NetSuite unit is mandating most employees return to the office beginning in June, making it the latest tech firm to impose stricter rules about remote work.

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Employees within a 45-minute commute of an office must come in to work at least twice a week beginning June 1, according to an internal presentation viewed Thursday by Bloomberg. Senior Vice President David Rodman said most workers will be in this category, according to an attendee who asked not be identified summarizing the meeting. New hires or those not meeting expectations must badge into an office at least three times a week, according to the presentation. Fully remote workers must be meeting or exceeding expectations.

About 11,500 employees report to NetSuite Executive Vice President Evan Goldberg, according to a recent organization chart viewed by Bloomberg. The division, acquired by Oracle in 2016 for $9.3 billion, has offices in cities such as Boston, Chicago and New York, according to its site. It couldn’t immediately be determined whether the new rules apply to other Oracle divisions. The company didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Return-to-office rules have tightened in the technology sector as it grapples with more difficult economic conditions and investor expectations. Amazon.com Inc. has told employees to return to offices three days a week starting in May. Salesforce Inc., an early advocate of remote work, is now “just short” of adopting a mandate, Chief Operating Officer Brian Millham said in a March interview. Other industries also are changing expectations as well. JPMorgan Chase & Co., for example, told its managing directors they must now report to the office every weekday.

Still, office attendance in 10 of the largest US business districts last week remained below 50% of pre-Covid levels, according to data from Kastle Systems. The tech-heavy San Jose metro area was the lowest at 37.1%.

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