Amazon employees rage against return-to-office mandate as exec pleads for calm

[midian182]

A hot potato: Amazon's decision to force its workers back into the office has brought the kind of response from employees one would expect: anger. The mandate announcement led to thousands of staff joining a Slack channel and planning a petition, despite one senior executive suggesting, "let's not grab our torches and pitchforks quite yet."

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Friday posted a message stating that during the pandemic when many teams worked from home or in hybrid models, the company made several observations regarding in-office work.

Amazon claims that it is easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen its culture when employees are in the office together. It also says traditional working practices make collaborating and inventing easier, and learning from colleagues is better done in person.

"There is something about being face-to-face with somebody, looking them in the eye, and seeing they're fully immersed in whatever you're discussing that bonds people together," Jassy wrote. Based on these findings, Amazon staff must come into the office at least three days per week starting in May.

Insider reports that 5,000 Amazon employees joined a Slack channel called "Remote Advocacy" within hours of the announcement. It seeks "data, anecdotes, articles about the benefits of remote work" and now boasts over 14,000 members.

Amazon: "Come back to the office, people. It'll definitely be better than working from home, honest"

A survey within the Slack channel showed 80% of respondents saying they were prepared to look for another job rather than being forced back to the office. The unexpectedness of Jassy's announcement and its vagueness are also points of contention for employees who expected to continue working from home in the long term.

Paul Vixie, a vice president and engineer for Amazon Web Services, joined the Slack group, admitting that he did not know about the policy ahead of time and senior execs might not have finalized the details before it was announced.

"I don't know any details. My thought is, balancing the concerns and needs and desires of customers, employee families, and shareholders is hard on the easiest day, and this is not the easiest day," Vixie added. "My guidance is, let's not grab our torches and pitchforks quite yet. There's a lot we don't know."

Other companies implementing return-to-work mandates are facing pushback from employees. Apple workers launched a petition against its plans to bring staff back into the office last year, while Elon Musk's demands left Tesla's staff fighting for parking spaces and desks at its Fremont facility.

Amazon has never had the best public image, but it's taken even more of a hammering than usual over the last few weeks. Recent reports revealed it takes up to 50% commission from sellers, and the company is cutting a record 18,000 jobs. Some in the Slack group believe the new policy could be in place to encourage people to quit, thereby saving Amazon from making more layoffs.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/97689-amazon-employees-fight-back-against-return-office-mandate.html

 

[Ohnooze]

Lol....support the whacky and their views and that's what you get.

 

[maxxcool7421]

""Amazon claims that it is easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen its culture when employees are in the office together.""

translation it is easier to pit you against your co-worker in office and bully you with a physical presence.

 

[gigantor21]

"Some in the Slack group believe the new policy could be in place to encourage people to quit, thereby saving Amazon from making more layoffs."

There's no doubt in my mind that is the real reason--for all the companies pushing people back to the office, not just Amazon.

 

[Ohnooze]

""Amazon claims that it is easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen its culture when employees are in the office together.""

translation it is easier to pit you against your co-worker in office and bully you with a physical presence.

You really think that they want people to come back to the office so they can bully them?
Man....that is some very strange thinking.

 

[psycros]

You really think that they want people to come back to the office so they can bully them?
Man....that is some very strange thinking.

That's literally the management model of 95% of all companies: intimidation and currying favor. I guess you've never worked in the private sector.

 

[Avro Arrow]

"senior executive suggesting, "let's not grab our torches and pitchforks quite yet."

Methinks that this executive doesn't realise that the word "our" doesn't apply to him. He wouldn't be one of the people with a pitchfork, he'd be one of the people on the end of one.

There's nothing more disingenuous, out of touch or pathetic than a rich executive trying to pretend that he's on the side of the workers. I, for one, hope that he gets impaled on one of said pitchforks.

I don't blame Amazon for being the way that it is because if people weren't so self-centred, they couldn't succeed doing what they do and yet, here we are. I flatly refuse to do any business with them because of how they treat their employees. If you show the business world that treating employees like garbage equals success, it's only a matter of time before it happens to you.

My family knows not to give me Amazon gift cards because I'll just turn around and re-gift them to someone else.

 

[Ohnooze]

That's literally the management model of 95% of all companies: intimidation and currying favor. I guess you've never worked in the private sector.

No, it's not. And I have been in the work force for over 35 years. Yes there are places like that and I know first hand. But assuming that 95% of companies just want to beat the **** out of you and that's the only reason that they want you in the office is whacky thinking.

 

[letsgoiowa]

Hybrid is fine if you live nearby an office for most people. Full time in office is not necessary or beneficial for most.

 

[p51d007]

Don't like working in an office, if that is the company policy?
Two options.

A. QUIT
B. FIRED

 

[waclark]

No, it's not. And I have been in the work force for over 35 years. Yes there are places like that and I know first hand. But assuming that 95% of companies just want to beat the **** out of you and that's the only reason that they want you in the office is whacky thinking.

Exactly!

 

[Avro Arrow]

Hybrid is fine if you live nearby an office for most people. Full time in office is not necessary or beneficial for most.

It's about control for these arseholes, it's about their egos, nothing more.

 

[waclark]

""Amazon claims that it is easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen its culture when employees are in the office together.""

translation it is easier to pit you against your co-worker in office and bully you with a physical presence.

Why would a company pit you against your co-workers? What sort of hell-hole job do you have? I've never been pitted against my co-workers and I've been doing this for 40 years now.

 

[dangh]

Hybrid is fine if you live nearby an office for most people. Full time in office is not necessary or beneficial for most.

I live maybe 2km from my office, and I might have been there 3 times last year. What's the point, if I can do same or better job in my own home than wasting time to get to office just to be distracted. And desks in my office do not have adjustable height, so that's additional 'no'.

 

[Ohnooze]

I live maybe 2km from my office, and I might have been there 3 times last year. What's the point, if I can do same or better job in my own home than wasting time to get to office just to be distracted. And desks in my office do not have adjustable height, so that's additional 'no'.

If you're that close to work what would you have to complain about? How much time would you be wasting....5 minutes? No adjustable desk....oh my that really is slavery!!

These younger generations....complaining about having to commute and calling others entitled at the same time. This last part was not towards you in particular dangh.

 

[Rocky4040]

LOL reading some of the responses is pretty amusing to say the least. Amazon and other companies are making their employees come back to work not because it is some form of punishment or in hopes of all of the employees quitting. They want these people to grow a sack and be adults again and not scared little children hiding in their homes waiting for the sky to fall.

 

[sunseeker007]

I agree that they should be back in the office! Get you *** back to work and be thankful you have such an amazing job! And if you don't like it..CHANGE IT! Nuff said...

 

[DukeJukem]

""Amazon claims that it is easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen its culture when employees are in the office together.""

translation it is easier to pit you against your co-worker in office and bully you with a physical presence.

with a mindset like that I bet you think that's how the school system is too right?

 

[AnthonyANI]

I'm all for remote work, and I aim to keep it to avoid long commute. I've never been interested in living at work or on the road. But I'd be lying if I said getting to know and like some co-workers, building the motivation to learn from the smart ones was the same remote as it is in-person. It just isn't. You might get close if you're made to be in a video conference with them or something throughout the shift. So much more gets done not just for the company but for your own skill development when you really get to know and learn from your co-workers, and working remote really does seem to skip this part. Naturally people with social anxiety, or—let's be honest—those that really just enjoy the lack of accountability so they don't have to work as hard, cling to that. Hybrid model is probably for the best for both parties.

 

[Ohnooze]

I'm all for remote work, and I aim to keep it to avoid long commute. I've never been interested in living at work or on the road. But I'd be lying if I said getting to know and like some co-workers, building the motivation to learn from the smart ones was the same remote as it is in-person. It just isn't. You might get close if you're made to be in a video conference with them or something throughout the shift. So much more gets done not just for the company but for your own skill development when you really get to know and learn from your co-workers, and working remote really does seem to skip this part. Naturally people with social anxiety, or—let's be honest—those that really just enjoy the lack of accountability so they don't have to work as hard, cling to that. Hybrid model is probably for the best for both parties.

Agree with this. There are absolutely advantages to being in person. But do you really have to be there 5 days a week....I personally don't think so. But in the end you're on their time. If they want you there and you expect to get paid then it is what it is. If you're not okay with that then you're going to need to find a different job.

 

[dnous]

If you're that close to work what would you have to complain about? How much time would you be wasting....5 minutes? No adjustable desk....oh my that really is slavery!!

These younger generations....complaining about having to commute and calling others entitled at the same time. This last part was not towards you in particular dangh.

Not a complain, its a lack of reason to go to the office. We have a hybrid system which works fine, office is now mostly for collaboration and meeting with clients. Somethings are just easier face to face. However for the vast majority of the tasks, it is more efficient to work from home. I, and all members from my team, just get more done.

The issue here is, that the office is no longer a place to work. It has to reinvent itself, because people worked from home and it was amazing. Going back to the office for the sake of occupying the chairs just isn't reason enough for employees.

 

[GreenNova343]

""Amazon claims that it is easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen its culture when employees are in the office together.""

translation it is easier to pit you against your co-worker in office and bully you with a physical presence.

They're not wrong, though. At work, the in-person & face-to-face training is **much** more effective, & takes a lot less time, than trying to do it over Teams (even with sharing a screen).

 

[Julnor]

"The peasants are getting uppity!"

"Quick, have the scribes turn them against each other."

Technology changes. The names change. But nothing really changes.

 

[Durch]

Prices for fuel, cars, and food are through the roof, who can blame people who have worked remote for the last 2.5 years to continue to work remote.

If the job can be done remotely and work is being done, there really shouldn't be an issue.

 

[James Ryan]

I kind of feel like this is more of a ploy to get people to quit so they don't have to do a big *** round of layoffs. They will just rehire the exact people they want at lower rates who aren't used to working from home.