Amazon Faces Backlash from Employees Over Office Attendance Expectations
Amazon has stirred up controversy among its corporate employees by notifying some workers that they are currently not meeting the company’s expectation of working in an assigned office at least three days per week.
In an email sent on Wednesday, Amazon addressed employees who allegedly failed to comply with the office attendance mandate that was implemented in May. Screenshots of the message, which were shared on the anonymous corporate message board Blind, revealed the following statement: “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.”
The email warning has reignited tensions within the e-commerce giant, with some employees claiming that they received the message by mistake. In May, Amazon employees staged a walkout to protest the company’s push for a return to the office.
According to an internal Slack channel, one Amazon employee questioned whether the email was intended to scare people. Another employee described the email as “peak absurdity” and argued that it was mistakenly sent to many workers who were actually complying with the attendance policy. Some employees also speculated whether the warnings signaled potential layoffs or stricter attendance requirements in the future.
In response to these concerns, Amazon clarified that the email was sent to employees who had badged into their assigned office fewer than three days per week for five or more of the previous eight weeks, or who fell short of the three-day-a-week requirement for three or more of the last four weeks despite their building being ready. The company acknowledged that some warnings may have been sent out in error.
“While we’ve taken several steps to ensure this email went to the correct recipients, we recognize that there may be instances where we have it wrong,” Amazon stated. The company encouraged employees who believe they received the email in error to discuss their situation with their manager and ensure accurate information is reflected in the system.
The attendance warnings are just one aspect of Amazon’s strict return-to-office initiative. According to The Information, Amazon managers have started informing certain employees that they must either relocate to a central “hub” or leave the company. Affected workers reportedly have until September 15 to make a decision regarding this policy.
It is worth noting that Amazon has already laid off approximately 27,000 employees since last fall, including a recent wave of 9,000 cuts announced in March.
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Overall, Amazon’s office attendance expectations have sparked discontent among its corporate workforce, with employees expressing concerns and questioning the accuracy of the warnings. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by companies as they navigate the transition back to in-person work arrangements.