Zoom CEO Says Employees Must Return to Office

The chief executive of teleconferencing company Zoom said in a recent all-hands meeting that employees should return to working in one of the company’s offices, citing the difficulties of relying on their own platform.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said during the meeting, according to leaked audio obtained by Business Insider, that although the company’s software has become one of the most widely used for remote working, employees at Zoom who live within 50 miles of a company office should work there at least two days per week.

“Over the past several years, we’ve hired so many new ‘Zoomies’ that it’s really hard to build trust,” Yuan said. “We cannot have a great conversation. We cannot debate each other well because everyone tends to be very friendly when you join a Zoom call.”

Zoom joins other tech companies, such as Meta and Apple, who have called for workers to return to the office following the end of COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Many on social media quickly noted the irony of one of the world’s most well-known teleconferencing companies calling for employees to return to the office.

“Zoom showed their hand when they announced that anybody who lives within 50 miles of the office has to show up there,” said Liz Ryan, the CEO of professional development and consulting firm Human Workplace. “If you hate commuting enough, you could move 51 miles away. It’s not about their culture. It’s about filling up the office space they’re paying for.”