Amazon’s recent announcement of a mandatory five-day in-office workweek is causing significant unrest among its corporate workforce, CNBC reports.
According to a survey of 2,585 Amazon employees on the anonymous job review site Blind, 73% are considering leaving the company following the new policy, which is set to take effect in January 2025. The survey, conducted after CEO Andy Jassy’s memo about the return-to-office mandate, highlights growing dissatisfaction among workers.
In addition, 80% of respondents said they know a colleague who is also considering seeking a new job due to the policy change. Employees on Blind, where discussions often focus on workplace grievances, expressed that the announcement has negatively impacted morale, particularly among parents and caregivers who value the flexibility of remote or hybrid work arrangements.
A separate survey on Glassdoor found that 74% of Amazon workers are “rethinking” their career plans, considering whether to stay with the tech giant or explore opportunities elsewhere. The discontent stems from the new requirement that corporate workers must return to the office five days a week, up from the current three-day requirement.
Some experts speculate that strict return-to-office policies might be a cost-saving strategy, encouraging voluntary resignations instead of layoffs. However, many Amazon employees are advocating for leadership to reconsider. An internal survey, shared on company Slack channels, including a “remote advocacy” group with over 30,000 members, revealed that employees are strongly dissatisfied with the change.
The creators of the internal survey plan to present their findings to Amazon leadership, including CEO Jassy, in hopes of demonstrating the challenges the policy presents and proposing alternative solutions.
This isn’t the first time Amazon workers have voiced their concerns. Earlier this year, employees sent a six-page memo to leadership expressing opposition to the three-day office mandate, but their concerns were dismissed. In his recent memo, Jassy defended the new policy, citing improved collaboration, innovation, and culture-building from in-office work during the last 15 months.
Despite these claims, many Amazon employees remain uncertain about their future with the company, and the looming five-day office mandate could lead to a significant exodus of talent.
