Amazon employees rebel against returning to the office

An outcry among employees of Amazon's cloud division AWS: More than 500 employees have addressed a letter to CEO Matt Garman, demanding the retraction of the planned full return to the office. Garman claimed at an employee meeting on October 17th that the vast majority of employees supported the return policy, which was met with harsh criticism. Critics argue that Garman's assessment does not align with the experiences of many employees. His statements undermine the trust of the workforce and distort the reality of work life at Amazon, the letter obtained by Reuters states. Additionally, the five-days-a-week office rule is incompatible with Amazon's leadership principle of striving to be the "best employer in the world." The return mandate, set to take effect next year, particularly impacts employees with special circumstances: people with neurodiverse challenges, family obligations, or long commutes. The comprehensive return to the office is controversial within the company, as it leads to additional commuting times and costs, even though remote work proved effective. Some employees announce their intent to leave the company. The letter also includes anonymous reports from employees explaining why implementing the new regulation would be nearly impossible for them. Whether due to children, lengthy commutes, or health necessities—the narratives are varied. One employee even expressed: "I used to be proud of my work and look forward to my future here. I have lost that feeling." An official statement from Amazon is still pending.