Robert Thomson, chief executive officer of News Corp., urged employees to return to the office in a memo Thursday, saying working from home doesn't allow for the "subtleties of body language and the nuances of knowing glances."
Thomson didn't specify how many days employees are expected to be in the office but said he would like to see them in more than they are now.
"There is some room for flexibility in the work environment, but that flexibility is not boundless," Thomson said in the memo seen by Bloomberg News. "Attendance is an absolute imperative as collaboration and cooperation are priorities for each of our business."
News Corp., the publisher of the Wall Street Journal and other newspapers, joins a long list of companies, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Apple Inc. and Walt Disney Co., that have asked workers to return to offices following the COVID-19 pandemic. News Corp. competes with Bloomberg LP, the owner of Bloomberg News and another proponent of office work, in providing financial news and information.
The company, controlled by billionaire Rupert Murdoch, recently extended its lease on Manhattan skyscraper. Thomson called that move "indicative of our global commitment to working together in the office."
