Amazon's internal employee discontent took a public turn this week after former worker Stephanie Ramos shared her frustrations on LinkedIn, criticising the company's increasingly bureaucratic culture. In her post, which garnered over 1,00,000 views and hundreds of comments, Ramos described the workplace as “bogged down in pointless meetings and middling middle managers,” explaining why she quit less than three months after being rehired.
Ramos’ post resonated with current Amazon employees, with many sharing their own dissatisfaction with the company. Several expressed concerns about the leadership of CEO Andy Jassy, who succeeded Jeff Bezos three years ago. Workers lamented the changes under his leadership, including policies like the five-day return-to-office mandate, set to take effect in January 2024.
Comments from other employees echoed similar sentiments. Todd Leonhardt, an Amazon Web Services software developer, criticised the lack of transparency, contrasting Jassy’s leadership with Bezos’ more hands-on approach. Another long-time employee, Laura Barry, commented that Amazon’s current environment reminded her of a traditional bank, citing frustration over the shift away from remote work.
While an Amazon spokesperson, Margaret Callahan, did not address the specific criticisms, she pointed out that Amazon ranked second in LinkedIn’s 2023 Top Companies list. Despite this, many employees feel Jassy’s tenure, characterised by layoffs and cost-cutting, has shifted the company’s direction, raising tensions among staff.
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