A vast number of Amazon workers are expressing their discontent over the company’s decision to end remote work and mandate a five-day office attendance starting in 2025. This sentiment was captured in a survey conducted by Blind, an online platform that allows employees to anonymously discuss workplace culture, involving 2,585 Amazon staff members.
Since May, Amazon has permitted its employees to work from home up to two days each week. This policy has been strictly monitored through methods such as tracking the number of hours employees spend in the office and their badge swipes.
On September 16, Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy issued a memo to staff declaring that the company will require most of its workforce to report to the office full-time at the beginning of 2025. He argued, “We’ve seen that it’s beneficial for team members to engage and embody our culture through learning, modeling, practicing, and enhancing; collaboration, brainstorming, and innovation happen more naturally and effectively in person,” according to the memo.
Between September 17 and 19, Blind surveyed 2,585 “verified Amazon professionals” in the U.S. regarding their views on the policy, revealing a significant opposition. As of mid-2021, Amazon reported employing about 1 million people in the U.S., a number that rose to 1.5 million full- and part-time workers by 2023, according to regulatory filings.
Recently, Blind highlighted several comments from its platform about the return-to-office (RTO) mandate. One post from an Amazon employee read, “My enthusiasm for this job has evaporated, I’m just going through the motions now…”
Similar sentiments are echoed across other online forums, with some individuals arguing that the policy is unfair, particularly for those who were hired under the premise of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are also whispers and some hopeful calls for mass resignations.
According to Blind, 73 percent of the surveyed Amazon employees are “considering searching for new employment” due to the RTO directive.
Moreover, 80 percent of the respondents admitted they know a colleague at Amazon who is also contemplating leaving the company because of the new policy. Alarmingly, 32 percent indicated they are aware of someone who has already resigned due to the upcoming mandatory office attendance.
Blind also observed that some candidates are dropping out of job interviews upon learning that Amazon does not support remote work options.
Some employees are discussing the RTO policy on platforms like Reddit, concerned that Amazon may be using it as a strategy to reduce its workforce. Notably, a March survey by BambooHR, which included 1,504 full-time U.S. employees and 504 HR professionals, revealed that 25 percent of VP and C-suite executives and 18 percent of HR professionals acknowledged that some companies implement RTO policies as a tactic to encourage resignations.
“Disheartened”
Online forums also show frustration with the perceived lack of flexibility from Amazon. For instance, a Reddit user named OhNolBoffedIt commented:
My team is scattered across the globe, and yet they expect me to commute to an office where none of my team members are present, five days a week. Not only is this a waste of time, but it also contradicts their environmental pledges. What a joke.
The announcement from Amazon’s HR has left many employees pondering major life changes, such as relocating or adjusting their family schedules. One employee expressed their dismay on Blind’s blog, saying:
Decisions like Jassy’s are exactly why I’m hesitant to have children. I refuse to let others impose rules that degrade my quality of life.
This shift in policy is unfolding as Amazon also faces demands from its workers for better pay. The company mentioned it would allow exceptions to the RTO rule for family emergencies, employees with ill children, and specific tasks that require solitude.
“The benefits of physical presence in the office are substantial,” Jassy stated in the memo. He added, “If anything, the past 15 months have only solidified our belief in these advantages.”
Jassy explained that the move to an entirely in-person work model aims to “operate like the world’s largest startup.” Yet, recent studies suggest that RTO mandates can diminish employee productivity and morale, and fail to enhance company value. High-profile companies like Apple, Microsoft, and SpaceX have reportedly lost senior staff due to similar RTO policies.
I am Sofia, a tech-savvy journalist and passionate member of the “Jason Deegan” team. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the latest technological advancements and loved sharing my knowledge with others.