Amazon Encourages Corporate Workers to Relocate for Office Return
Amazon is implementing a return-to-office policy that requires workers to be in the office three days a week, leading to some corporate employees being asked to relocate to different cities.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the relocations but did not comment on reports suggesting that workers in smaller offices would be required to move to larger city-based main offices.
The exact number of employees affected by the relocations has not been disclosed. However, Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser stated that the company will offer “relocation benefits” to those asked to move and will consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
Glasser emphasized the positive impact of in-person collaboration and connections, stating, “There’s more energy, collaboration, and connections happening since we’ve been working together at least three days per week, and we’ve heard this from lots of employees and the businesses that surround our offices.” He added that Amazon is actively exploring ways to bring teams together in the same locations and will communicate directly with employees regarding any decisions affecting them.
This move represents an escalation of Amazon’s efforts to bring its workforce back to the office.
In February, the company introduced a policy mandating employees to work in the office three days a week. The policy was implemented in May, leading to protests by hundreds of corporate workers outside Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle. Previously, team leaders had the authority to determine their teams’ working arrangements.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy explained that the decision to bring workers back was based on observing what worked during the pandemic. The senior leadership team studied employee performance and consulted leaders at other companies, ultimately concluding that in-person engagement and collaboration were more effective.
According to internal messages cited by Business Insider, Amazon employees who refuse to relocate near their team’s main offices are being given the option to find a new job internally or leave the company through a “voluntary resignation.” Over the past few months, Amazon has already eliminated 27,000 jobs.