Amazon says it'll delay a return to the office until January

• Amazon said tech and corporate employees will not return regularly to the office until January.
• The company is monitoring COVID-19 conditions worldwide, a spokesperson said.
• The announcement follows similar moves by Uber and Microsoft, who plan to return in October.

Amazon said it's pushing back the planned return of its tech and corporate employees to the office, according to internal emails seen by the Seattle Times and confirmed by Insider.

"As we continue to closely watch conditions related to COVID-19, we are adjusting our guidance for corporate employees in the U.S. and other countries where we had previously anticipated our employees would begin coming in regularly the week of Sept. 7," Amazon human-resources chief Beth Galetti wrote, according to the Times. "We are now extending this date to Jan. 3, 2022."

A company spokesperson confirmed The Times' report and said unvaccinated office employees are required to wear masks, while verified fully vaccinated staff are allowed to work maskless.

In June the company said office employees would be able to work remotely up to two days a week, softening its earlier stance on having an "office-centric culture" by the fall.

Last week, Insider's Tom Dotan reported that Uber was pushing its office return to October and requiring all office workers to be vaccinated.

Earlier this week Microsoft announced that it, too, would push the return-to-office plan to October and require proof of vaccination from all employees, vendors, and guests.