Amazon corporate employees have threatened a "soft quitting" revolt in response to CEO Andy Jassy's mandate that they return to the office five days a week.
Jassy, 56, who was appointed as Jeff Bezos' successor after the 60-year-old business magnate stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021, issued a company-wide statement announcing that employees will be required to return to in-office work "the way we were before the onset of COVID."
Jassy's Return-to-Office Mandate
Angry workers quickly reacted to the new policy change, with some agreeing to "soft quit" by gradually disengaging from their tasks before seeking new employment. "Three years at Amazon currently. Probably going to soft quit and get a new job. F*** Jassy," a frustrated employee wrote in a Reddit post.
"Let people work from home; you don't need the stock to be above $200 all the time," the employee continued. Jassy announced that starting January 2, 2025, corporate employees will be required to return to the office for a standard workweek unless they have an approved "remote Work Exception" or are dealing with "extenuating circumstances."
"Before the pandemic, it was not a given that folks could work remotely two days a week, and that will also be true moving forward - our expectation is that people will be in the office outside of extenuating circumstances," the top executive wrote.
Jassy, who joined the $1.94 trillion company in 1997, explained that the new policy change would "better equip" employees to "innovate, collaborate, and connect" with each other, ultimately providing better service to customers and the business. "We want to operate like the world's largest startup," he said.
According to Jassy, this requires maintaining a passion for continuous innovation for customers, a sense of urgency for seizing opportunities, firm ownership, swift decision-making, a scrappy and frugal approach, deep collaboration, and a shared commitment to each other.
Employees Threaten 'Soft Quit' Revolt
Some disgruntled employees suggested the new policy was designed to force workers out. "What better way to cut jobs than to force everyone back into the office and watch people quit in droves," one wrote. Another said: "Sweat shop company and culture! I hope their workforce just quits."
A commenter said, "You know, I think everybody should return to the office", said the guy, sitting on a couch, on his yacht, floating around the Mediterranean."
Another wrote, "Everybody clap; large companies have figured out a way to do layoffs without calling it that or having to deal with legal/financial consequences."
While some employees expressed annoyance, others advised them to "suck it up" and return to the office. One person suggested: "Quit complaining. If you don't like it, find a different job. Suck it up like the rest of us."
Another commented, "Lucky them. My sorry a** was returned to the office in October of 2020. At least I had the Summer." In a "fishbowl" meeting recording obtained by Insider, Jassy expressed frustration with employees who were not taking his return-to-office policy seriously, telling those refusing to come in for the three-day minimum, "It's probably not going to work out for you."
"It's past the time to disagree and commit," Jassy said during the call, emphasising that he believes it's no longer practical for the entire team to work remotely while others choose not to. While returning to the office may have its drawbacks, new data from ZipRecruiter suggests that a full return could lead to increased earnings.
Jassy also announced plans to reduce the number of managers at Amazon to "remove layers and flatten organisations." He concluded his announcement by expressing optimism about the new changes, stating that they will "better help us accomplish these goals while strengthening our culture and the effectiveness of our teams."
