Amazon Employees Quitting Over Strict Return-to-Office Policy
Recently, there has been a surge in Amazon employees quitting the company due to its stringent return-to-office mandate. Many employees have expressed their dissatisfaction with the policy on the company’s internal Slack channel dedicated to discussions about Amazon’s policies.
The channel, known as “remote advocacy,” has grown to include more than 34,000 employees this year.
As various teams approach their deadlines for returning to the office, the number of departures has increased.
Notable Departures from AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company’s cloud unit, has experienced several notable departures in the past week. One employee who is leaving AWS had previously voiced concerns about the return-to-office policy on Slack.
Merritt Baer, who left AWS in July after more than 5 years, commented on the significant number of resignations within the past week. Other employees who have recently announced their plans to quit also cited the return-to-office policy as their primary reason for finding new jobs.
‘Return-to-Hub’ Policy
In early 2023, Amazon implemented a policy requiring most staff to work in the office at least 3 days a week. Exceptions were promised by CEO Andy Jassy, but they were intended to be a small minority. In July, the company enforced a “return-to-hub” policy, which required employees to work from their team’s designated hub instead of the nearest office to their current location.
Amazon spokesperson Rob Munoz dismissed the notion that attrition at Amazon, including AWS, is a cause for concern, stating that it is actually at some of the lowest levels in recent years. Munoz emphasized the positive impact of having employees back in the office, citing increased energy, connection, and collaboration.
Employees Leaving Over Lack of Respect
Despite the company’s perspective, some Amazon employees have decided to leave due to concerns about a perceived lack of respect from management regarding the return-to-office policy and the company’s previous mass layoffs. They view these actions as unacceptable.
Employee attrition is one of the challenges facing Amazon’s cloud business, which has been dealing with slowing growth, missed sales targets, and employee fatigue over the push to sell new AI services.
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