The Washington Post has ordered its employees to return to the office five days a week, according to a memo from publisher Will Lewis. Managers will have to return from February 3, 2025 and all other employees will be expected in the office from June 2.

“I want that awesome office energy for us every day,” Lewis writes. “I am reliably informed that it was like this here before Covid, and it is important that we get that back.”

The post office sent employees home on March 10, 2020, as the scale of the Covid pandemic became clear. Employees must be on duty at least three days a week since spring 2022.

There is one exclusion: if you are reporting, that counts as being on duty, just like making a sales call for advertisers. “The change is that there is a presumption that between these key business or personal appointments you will be based in the office,” Lewis writes, “the same arrangements as you had with the three-day-a-week rule, but now for five days.

In response, the Washington Post Guild, the union that represents many of the publication’s employees, sent an email to members with the subject line “RTO (Return to Organizing).” In the memo, union leaders said, “guild leadership sees this for what it is: a change that risks further disrupting our work rather than improving our productivity or collaboration.” ” The long delay before Guild members are required to report five days a week, they say, “means we have time to mount a response.”

Here is Lewis’ memo:

Good morning,

Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication during this important week for America and the world.

We produced excellent journalism for our clients and the office was a dynamic place. I want that great office energy for us every day. I am reliably informed that it was like this here before Covid, and it is important that we get that back.

You know how much we all need to do to improve our business, and I don’t think we can do it successfully over Zoom. We’re really good when we work together in person.

It is with this in mind that we will return to the office five days a week over the coming months.

By February 3, 2025, we want all managers to return to the office (that is, all people managers at all levels of the company). All other colleagues will be required to return to the office five days a week by June 2, 2025. These return-to-office plans also apply to remote colleagues within commuting distance of our Washington DC or New York offices.

All other remote work arrangements, whether continuing or new, will require ministry approval and will be based on operational needs, the nature of the role and related factors.

We know that for some people, this three to five day stint in the office will be welcomed and an easy transition. For others, we know it will be an adjustment: you may need to adapt your routines and rediscover old ways of managing work-life balance. This is why we are giving many of our colleagues more than six months to achieve this.

When we talk about returning to the office, there are a lot of things that won’t change. If you are a journalist publishing an article, a salesperson selling products, or a colleague going to a medical appointment, continue as usual. The change is that there is a presumption that between these key business or personal appointments you will be based in the office – the same arrangements as you had with the three days a week rule, but now for five days.

You’ll likely have questions and soon hear more from your own department heads. In the meantime, please direct any specific questions to [email protected] or our HR team.

William

And here is the note from the Guild:

Hello everyone-

Like many of you, we are saddened to learn that after four years of flexible work arrangements, The Post is considering instituting a rigid and outdated office work policy that does not reflect the reality of our jobs or our lives. Guild leaders see this for what it is: a change that risks further disrupting our work rather than improving our productivity or collaboration.

Here’s the good news: The contract you all voted for in December includes a cover letter for ample notice and management readily admits that Guild-covered employees do not have to make any changes until June 2 at earlier. This means we have time to organize a response.

Please submit your ideas here and feel free to contact members of leadership (I will post our names below) to volunteer and become more involved in these efforts. We would like to form a committee as soon as possible. If you would like to participate in this specifically, please contact [email protected].

We are, as always, stronger together.

Disclosure: WashingtonianThe editorial staff of , like the Post Guild, is represented by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.

Senior Editor

Andrew Beaujon has joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He previously worked at the Poynter Institute, TBD.com and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.