Amazon is intensifying its return-to-office (RTO) policy, compelling remote workers to report to physical offices, even if it means relocating hundreds of miles away from their homes and usual work locations.
According to a report by Bloomberg, certain corporate Amazon employees will be asked to move to meet the company’s three-day-per-week office working requirements. Additionally, there are indications that workers based in smaller Amazon offices may be required to work from the company’s larger and core locations.
While specific details about the affected workers are yet to be confirmed, reports suggest that employees in major cities like Seattle, New York, and San Francisco could be impacted.
TechRadar Pro reached out to Amazon for confirmation on the relocation policy and details on the affected workers but did not receive an immediate response.
A company spokesperson told Bloomberg that they have observed increased energy, collaboration, and connections among employees working from the office. This aligns with earlier announcements made by CEO Andy Jassy, highlighting the company’s preference for in-person working due to perceived productivity gains over hybrid work models.
Despite this stance, some Amazon employees have expressed dissent. In May, nearly 2,000 workers committed to a protest walkout against the company’s RTO mandate and its perceived failure to meet certain climate goals. Amazon stated that only 300 out of its 350,000 global corporate and tech employees participated in the protest.
The company has been striving to optimize its operations since October 2022, laying off over 27,000 workers (via layoffs.fyi) due to pandemic-related overhiring and the challenges posed by the subsequent economic conditions.
