Amazon's strict return-to-office policy is pushing more employees into quitting

[WhoCaresAnymore]

All of you environmentalists should be preaching WFH. I went from driving 20 miles a day to maybe 50 miles a month total. I don't think I've put over 2000 miles on my car. All of that commute time is wasted productivity, and it also stresses people out before they even get to the office.

I freaking hate traffic.

 

[redgarl]

The big corps are trying to put back the tooth paste inside the tube... but it will never happen.

The only way to drop green gas emission is by limiting our transits, which mean if you can work remotely, then work remotely. It is not only a question of environment, but also having less people on the roads during rush hours is a benefit for everyone. After that, cost... insurance, gas, public transit, parking, lunch, breakfast... all savings. Not to mention the time that you save. 2 + hours of time per day not lost in transit. And you bring the last nail in the coffin which is efficiency and time management. Again, all points going to WFH.

Nah, this is a strategy from corporation to lay off people quietly. This will backfire badly when the economy or the interest rate get better when employers will once again having a weaker grip against the employee.

 

[redgarl]

Here's how I have always looked at this.
1. You are the employee
2. The EMPLOYER sets the rules
3. Go by the rules, or QUIT!

What do you think people are doing? And what do you think happen when your best IT and tech talent get out of the doors because of some arbitrary decision falling more into a corporate message to shareholders than supporting your workforce?

People like me who are highly qualified professional... leave.

 

[hwertz]

See ya' Amazon!

There's definitely jobs where you have to be physically present. Someone has to be physically installing those AWS cloud servers, powering down bad ones, etc. Someone has to be in the warehouses physically moving product.

BUT! Expecting (for instance) the AWS employees who are, after all, supporting cloud-based stuff, will NEVER physically see a single computer they are logging into anyway, and have tools to measure whether they are getting anything done or not? (Number of customer support tickets closed, or amount of checkin/checkout activity if they are coding, for instnace). Having to move, to sit in an office at a computer, to do the exact same stuff they would do sitting at a computer at home, is daft.

 

[hwertz]

Yes, you have to come into work like the rest of us. You have to drive in, like the rest of us. I dont see how impossible relocations are a thing, unless someone moved into a small town in a different state, sold their big city dwelling, and now cant afford to move back in; to which I say "welcome to what we deal with".

And it's STILL only 3 days a week for a job that pays $100k+ a year. That's a pretty sweet gig.

Speak for yourself. I'm one of "the rest of us" and I don't have to drive in to anywhere. Working from home is wonderful, and I would not trade it for being expected to drive in to an office just to sit at a computer doing the same things I would be doing remotely from home. I don't blame those who quit for quitting. There's loads of remote work available.

 

[WhoCaresAnymore]

Speak for yourself. I'm one of "the rest of us" and I don't have to drive in to anywhere. Working from home is wonderful, and I would not trade it for being expected to drive in to an office just to sit at a computer doing the same things I would be doing remotely from home. I don't blame those who quit for quitting. There's loads of remote work available.

Amen, brother.

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

Companies like Amazon never really worry much about employees leaving because they'll just recruit and it's business as usual. I tend to believe all tech companies talk to each other and plan accordingly.

 

[WhoCaresAnymore]

Companies like Amazon never really worry much about employees leaving because they'll just recruit and it's business as usual. I tend to believe all tech companies talk to each other and plan accordingly.

Ramping up new employees is a very time consuming and expensive process. It bogs the whole system down.. Tech companies don't share much of anything.

 

[BogdanR]

So why does amazon ask its employees to get back into the Hubs? what is their reason for enforcing RTO? Are there financial gains for them by doing this? Or would Amazon just want to clean the house a little bit and enforcing an RTO seemed convenient to trigger many to leave by their "own will"?

Makes no sense, especially for the AWS folk. You may be right, it is simply a stratagem for shedding workers. A pretty stupid one!

 

[BogdanR]

Those are not facts. We have proof that work from home doesn't work for 99% of the population. Productivity is down in all sectors. All work from home people do is slack off, walk the dog, do laundry, mess with their kids, etc. I've literally watched hundreds of my own coworkers do that very thing.

During the pandemic there were dozens upon dozens of articles talking about mouse jigglers or other ways to try to circumvent company monitoring. People, when left to their own devices, have zero integrity and will avoid doing work whenever possible. The hard-working, overworked, dependable individual is EXTREMELY rare. There's literally only a few thousand of them in the entire world, if that.

Oy vey!

 

[ZedRM]

I am in a similar boat to many who have been called back to the office. Have told my employer that the answer is a resounding NO. Then I backed that up with evidence that I have been GREATLY more efficient and productive remoting in than I ever was in the office before the pandemic. I get more work done now in 6 hours a day 4 days a week then I ever did putting in 15 hours or more overtime a week. I will never go back to an office job.

Flat out told them, in no uncertain terms, that if they want me stay and continue getting the job done better than ever, they will continue to work me on remote. For me to go back to the office, I'd have to relocate back to Los Angeles. I'm not in California and have no interest in returning. So if they give me the boot, oh well. My skill set is in high demand, finding another job with a company that knows remoting in will be the status-quo won't be difficult.

 

[ZedRM]

We have proof that work from home doesn't work for 99% of the population.

99% my hairy butt! That is complete hogwash. Most of my fellow co-workers and myself are MUCH more productive remoting in than we EVER were in the office. Our productivity numbers prove THAT! Whatever "proof" you have is likely twisted in favor of some dim-wit who can't actually cope with working at home and can't stand losing the "office" culture.

The office culture is shrinking. While it's unlikely to disappear, I say good riddance.

 

[WhoCaresAnymore]

99% my hairy butt! That is complete hogwash. Most of my fellow co-workers and myself are MUCH more productive remoting in than we EVER were in the office. Our productivity numbers prove THAT! Whatever "proof" you have is likely twisted in favor of some dim-wit who can't actually cope with working at home and can't stand losing the "office" culture.

The office culture is shrinking. While it's unlikely to disappear, I say good riddance.

Spot on, Mate.

My whole company is WFH. We are one of the most profitable importers of the industry I work. Small company, no overhead, pays well and we are far more productive than at any time of our lives. We are located all over the country.

We get more done in 3 to 4 days, than most companies get done in a month. The only thing I miss is seeing my buddies in a small office. That's about it.

 

[8tn Atn]

Yes, you have to come into work like the rest of us. You have to drive in, like the rest of us. I dont see how impossible relocations are a thing, unless someone moved into a small town in a different state, sold their big city dwelling, and now cant afford to move back in; to which I say "welcome to what we deal with".

And it's STILL only 3 days a week for a job that pays $100k+ a year. That's a pretty sweet gig.

And what about environmental impact (traffic, congested cities, way too much cars on the road?). What about the impact on the health of office workers? What about maximizing productivity and employee motivation? Just doing something like before, for the sake of not giving ground is. Retarded.

 

[holydiver]

Come taste some of the 7% interest rates on mortgages people created by voting for slackers and losers into government.

 

[lonetac]

Spot on, Mate.

My whole company is WFH. We are one of the most profitable importers of the industry I work. Small company, no overhead, pays well and we are far more productive than at any time of our lives. We are located all over the country.

We get more done in 3 to 4 days, than most companies get done in a month. The only thing I miss is seeing my buddies in a small office. That's about it.

Yup same here. Our company embraced work from home and we have 20 years of rising revenue.

As soon as mgmt knows how to evaluate folks based on performance, wfh performance becomes a non issue as those that cant cut it dont cut it.