Amazon Employees Push Back Against 5-Day RTO Policy

Some Amazon employees are resisting one of the company's core leadership principles: “disagree and commit.” Instead of complying, hundreds of workers are voicing opposition to CEO Andy Jassy’s recent mandate requiring employees to return to the office five days a week. Many argue that the policy will negatively affect their work-life balance and productivity, urging Amazon to reconsider.

Corporate staff have been actively discussing their dissatisfaction via the messaging platform Slack, particularly in a “remote advocacy” channel with over 30,000 members, which was initially created when Amazon introduced a three-day return-to-office policy last year.

A recent internal survey, conducted by employees advocating for remote or hybrid work, revealed widespread discontent with the new mandate. As of 24 September, the average satisfaction rating among respondents was a low 1.4 out of 5, with 1 indicating “strongly dissatisfied” and 5 representing “strongly satisfied.” The survey organisers plan to share the aggregated results with CEO Jassy and other senior leaders, highlighting the challenges posed by the new policy and offering alternative solutions.

A blanket return-to-office policy, while seemingly straightforward, can lead to unintended consequences. By ignoring the benefits of remote work, such as flexibility, Amazon risks alienating employees and making it harder to attract and retain top talent in today’s competitive job market.

In a recent blog post, Jassy also announced a reorganisation effort aimed at flattening Amazon’s management structure. By reducing the number of managers and increasing the ratio of individual contributors, he aims to decrease bureaucracy, improve efficiency, and empower employees to make decisions closer to the customer.

This streamlined structure is designed to remove hierarchical layers, improve communication, and foster better collaboration. Jassy noted that the PxT (People eXperience and Technology) team would work closely with leadership to ensure a smooth transition, with the ultimate goal of enhancing customer service and driving innovation across the company.