Title: Dissatisfaction Rises Among Amazon Employees as Return-to-Office Policy Stirs Controversy

Subtitle: Concerns over inflexible approach lead to departures in Amazon Web Services

Amazon employees have been voicing their frustration and dissatisfaction with the company’s strict return-to-office policy, resulting in a number of departures. The discontent has become so widespread that employees have turned to an internal Slack channel dedicated to discussing the policy.

One of the main concerns revolves around the deadlines set by the company for employees to return to the office. Many employees have received these deadlines, which may explain the recent increase in departures. Notably, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has experienced a significant number of employees leaving, with some attributing their departure solely to the return-to-office policy.

Earlier this year, Amazon implemented its return-to-office policy, requiring most staff to be physically present at the office for at least three days a week, while only a small minority were given exceptions. In July, the company further enforced a “return-to-hub” policy, mandating employees to work from designated hub locations.

In response to the growing concerns, an Amazon spokesperson emphasized that attrition at Amazon, including AWS, remains low. The spokesperson also accused Business Insider of creating a false narrative by selectively highlighting anecdotes.

However, departing employees have cited a lack of respect from management regarding the return-to-office policy, as well as the company’s mass layoffs earlier this year. These factors have contributed to a sense of unease among the workforce.

The increase in employee attrition in AWS comes at a time when Amazon’s cloud business is already facing challenges such as slowing growth and employee fatigue due to the introduction of new artificial intelligence services. The departure of experienced employees could potentially have a detrimental effect on the company’s operations in this critical area.

Given these developments, tech-industry employees and individuals with insights on the matter are encouraged to reach out to reporter Ashley Stewart via Signal or email.

[Image: Ashley Stewart – “Travel aficionado. Incurable bacon specialist. TV evangelist. Wannabe internet enthusiast. Typical creator.”]