Amazon Faces Backlash from Employees Over Office Attendance Policy
In a recent development, Amazon has found itself in hot water with its corporate employees after sending out an email warning to workers who were not meeting the company’s expectation of working in an assigned office at least three days per week. The email, which was circulated on the anonymous corporate message board Blind, stated, “We are reaching out as you are not currently meeting our expectation of joining your colleagues in the office at least three days a week, even though your assigned building is ready.” This move has reignited tensions within the e-commerce giant, with some employees claiming they received the message by mistake.
Earlier in May, Amazon employees staged a walkout to protest the return-to-office mandate. The recent email warning has only added fuel to the fire, with one employee questioning if it was meant to scare people. Another employee described the email as “peak absurdity” and argued that it was sent in error to many workers who were actually complying with the attendance policy. Speculations arose among employees about potential layoffs or stricter attendance requirements.
Responding to the concerns, Amazon clarified that the email was sent to employees who had failed to meet the three-day-a-week requirement for five or more of the previous eight weeks, or for three or more of the last four weeks despite their building being ready. The company also acknowledged that some warnings may have been sent out by mistake and urged employees to reach out to their managers if they believed they received the email in error.
It’s important to note that these attendance warnings are just one aspect of Amazon’s strict return-to-office push. The company has reportedly informed some employees that they must either relocate to a central “hub” or leave the company. Impacted workers have until September 15 to make a decision on this policy. Amazon has already laid off approximately 27,000 employees since last fall, including a significant wave of cuts announced in March.
As the situation unfolds, employees continue to voice their concerns and seek clarification regarding the attendance policy. Amazon will need to address these issues and ensure effective communication with its workforce to maintain a positive work environment.