Another tech company wants its employees back in the office.
DocuSign is asking some of its workers to report to in-person work, part of a “phased” return strategy starting June 5, a spokesperson confirmed to GeekWire on Monday.
Employees who have been designated as “Hybrid” have been asked to come into the office at least twice per week, based on individual job functions and locations.
“With employee experience at the core of our approach, we are committed to testing, learning and adjusting as needed,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
DocuSign, a publicly traded electronic-signature giant with a significant presence in Seattle, has made several attempts to call its employees back to the office. However, pandemic-related setbacks caused a number of false starts.
DocuSign is joining a growing number of tech firms mandating in-person work.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy asked corporate and tech employees to return to the office at least three days per week, starting this month. The Seattle-based tech giant previously said in October 2021 that it was leaving back-to-office decisions up to individual team leaders.
Redfin, the tech-focused Seattle-based real estate brokerage, said last week it was changing course on its own policy and will now require workers in the office two days a week. Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman said he initially embraced remote work but changed his mind after experiencing the benefits of in-person work himself.
Companies like Disney, Starbucks, and Apple are requiring workers to come in three or four times per week.
Other tech companies have committed to remote. Seattle real estate tech company Zillow Group leaned into a work-from-home model since early in the pandemic and has doubled down on its “Cloud HQ” strategy, allowing workers to do their job from home and only meeting in person as a group quarterly for “Z retreats.”
Some companies have relinquished office space with the rise of remote work, sparking concern within the commercial real estate sector.
The new in-person work policies are welcome news to Seattle civic leaders who have been urging tech companies to bring their workers back to the downtown area, in a bid to boost economic activity. The trend is also a boon for restaurants, shops, and other retailers that rely on worker foot traffic for a majority of their business.
DocuSign launched two decades ago out of Seattle. The company relocated its headquarters to San Francisco but still maintains a sizable workforce in Washington state, with an office in downtown Seattle at 999 Third Ave.
DocuSign had 7,336 employees as of Jan. 31, according to SEC filings. We’ve asked the company about their Seattle staff numbers and will update when we hear back.
The pandemic caused a surge in demand for DocuSign’s electronic signature technology, but growth has since slowed after the economy reopened.
The firm’s return-to-office plans come after the company implemented a series of cost-cutting measures. After reducing its workforce by 9% in September, DocuSign announced in February that it planned to cut an additional 10% of its employees. The company also said in March that CFO Cynthia Gaylor plans to step down.
DocuSign’s stock is down more than 40% since this time last year. The company’s fourth quarter revenue came in at $659.6 million, up 14% year-over-year. It reported net income of $4.86 million, an improvement from a loss of $30.45 million during the year-ago quarter.
