After 3,300 Job Cuts, Uber Tightens WFH Rules, Caps Fully Remote Workers At Just 1% | World News

Last Updated:September 09, 2026, 13:52 IST

Employees will continue to be expected to work from an office three days each week under the company’s existing policy.

Image of the Uber office. (Source: Reuters)

After cutting down 3,300 jobs globally, ride-hailing giant Uber is now tightening its work-from-home policy. Under a new approach outlined to employees, only about 1% of the company’s workforce will be permitted to work entirely remotely, according to the Times of India.

The move marks a significant shift from the broader remote-working arrangements Uber adopted after the pandemic.

Employees who currently hold fully remote positions are expected, in most cases, to work from an office associated with their team. The company, however, is retaining its existing requirement for employees to spend three days a week in the office.

Only 1% To Remain Fully Remote

Uber is effectively making full-time remote work an exception rather than a standard arrangement.

The company plans to restrict fully remote positions to roughly 1% of its global workforce. For everyone else currently working entirely from home, the expectation will be to report to an Uber office connected to their team.

The policy could have consequences beyond commuting. Some employees hired on the understanding that they could work remotely may now have to move to a different city to be closer to their teams, according to The Times Of India.

Uber’s new location strategy divides employees into specific hubs. Global teams are expected to be concentrated in New York and San Francisco, while regional and local teams will operate from designated regional or country hubs. Technology teams, meanwhile, will be grouped around technology centres.

The company also wants managers to be located close to the teams they oversee wherever possible.

Also Read: Uber Layoffs: 3300 Jobs Gone, But Don’t Blame AI- 10 Key Facts And 3 Numbers Explain Why

Remote Employees May Need To Relocate

For employees who have built their lives around fully remote jobs, the change could prove particularly disruptive.

Those whose teams are based in another city may have to consider relocating if they want to remain with Uber. The company is placing greater emphasis on having employees working alongside their colleagues rather than having teams distributed across multiple locations.

That could mean that employees who survive the latest round of job cuts still face a significant workplace change.

Three-Day Office Policy Remains

Uber is not abandoning its hybrid model altogether.

Employees will continue to be expected to work from an office three days each week under the company’s existing policy. The latest move is primarily aimed at limiting arrangements in which employees work all five days remotely.

Uber also intends to reinforce compliance with its three-day office requirement, making physical presence a more important part of how teams operate.

The result is a narrower definition of workplace flexibility: hybrid working remains available to most employees, but permanent work-from-home arrangements will become rare.

Managers To Work Alongside Employees

The new workplace strategy places particular emphasis on keeping managers and their teams in the same location.

Uber wants managers to work alongside the employees they lead wherever practical. The company has also highlighted early-career workers, saying they should have opportunities to work around colleagues rather than being isolated in remote setups.

The broader objective is to create teams that are physically concentrated, with fewer employees and managers spread across different cities.

3,300 Jobs To Go As Uber Restructures

The remote-work changes come as Uber undertakes one of its significant organisational overhauls, with around 3,300 positions set to be eliminated.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has described the restructuring as an effort to make the company less complex and reduce layers of management. Uber wants to cut by 20% the number of employees positioned seven or more levels below the CEO.

The company is also targeting teams with very few direct reports and consolidating parts of its operations. Three delivery-focused groups covering restaurants, retail and direct commerce are being merged, while Core Services Engineering and Science are also being brought together.

Khosrowshahi has not attributed the job cuts to artificial intelligence. Instead, he has cited organisational layers, coordination problems and unclear accountability as key reasons behind the restructuring.

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What changes did Uber make to its work-from-home policy after the 3,300 job cuts?

After cutting 3,300 jobs, Uber tightened its work-from-home policy, capping fully remote workers at approximately 1% of its global workforce. Employees currently working fully remotely are now expected to report to an office associated with their team, though the existing three-day in-office requirement for hybrid workers remains in place.

Why did Uber implement these new work-from-home rules and job cuts?

Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, stated the restructuring and job cuts were an effort to make the company less complex, reduce management layers, and address issues like coordination problems and unclear accountability. The new WFH rules aim to foster in-person collaboration and concentrate teams physically.

How does Uber’s new policy impact employees who were previously fully remote?

Employees who were previously fully remote may need to relocate to a different city to be closer to their teams, as Uber is placing greater emphasis on having employees work alongside colleagues in designated hubs. This change could be disruptive for those who built their lives around remote work.

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Prisha Vibhavari

Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st…Read More

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