Costco is mandating that its tech employees work in the office at least three days a week, internal memo shows

• Costco wants tech employees to work from the office at least three days a week beginning in January.
• The company has a similar policy for other corporate employees, but gave IT staff more flexibility.
• Managers will have to work a minimum of four days from the office, and directors full-time.

According to a memo obtained by Insider, Costco wants its tech employees to work from the office at least three days per week beginning in January.

Individual contributors and supervisors must work from the office a minimum of three days per week beginning January 2, managers must work in the office a minimum of four days per week, and directors and above must work on site full-time, according to an email from Costco Chief Information Officer Terry Williams to employees.

Costco has a similar policy for other corporate employees, but has previously allowed for flexibility for IT employees. When Costco expanded its Issaquah, Washington, headquarters in May, a local magazine reported an executive saying that the company’s previous hybrid policy, which included flexible options for IT staff, would most likely remain in place.

In recent months, the wholesale club has increased its digital efforts, with CFO Richard Galanti highlighting several enhancements to the company’s mobile apps, which previously received “dismal” ratings on Apple and Google’s app stores.

Galanti stated that the company is “in the early innings of our digital mobile transformation efforts,” as it seeks to gain digital ground on Sam’s Club, its main warehouse club competitor.

Another technological challenge for the company is its continued reliance on antiquated warehouse management software for inventory management, which several employees have told Insider is a source of frequent frustration.

Costco employs approximately 310,000 people worldwide, including 206,000 in the United States. The company does not specify how many of those workers are corporate or in IT.

Costco did not respond immediately to a request for comment.