Amazon CEO: Return-to-office policy not a hidden layoff plan
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has pushed back against speculation that the company’s new return-to-office (RTO) policy is a covert attempt to drive employee attrition or cater to political pressures.
Speaking at an all-hands meeting, Jassy addressed theories suggesting the mandate serves hidden agendas, describing such claims as baseless.
Amazon leadership’s stance on RTO, workplace culture
The mandate, which will take effect on January 2, requires employees to work from the office five days a week. Non-compliance will be interpreted as “voluntary resignation,” resulting in the revocation of company computer access.
“A number of people I’ve seen theorised that the reason we are doing this, it’s a backdoor layoff, or we made some sort of deal with a city or cities,” Jassy said as Reuters reported.
“I can tell you both of those are not true. You know, this was not a cost play for us. This is very much about our culture and strengthening our culture.”
Employee concerns and industry context
Last month, Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garmen claimed that a majority of employees support the RTO initiative, suggesting it aligns with the company’s broader vision.
Garman also addressed employee concerns and made it clear that those unwilling to return to full-time office work have the option to leave the company.
“If there are people who just don’t work well in that environment and don’t want to, that’s okay, there are other companies around,” Garman said, stressing that the decision wasn’t intended to be negative but to promote collaboration and innovation.
However, a research by BambooHR reveals that 25% of high-level executives used the RTO policy to force employees to quit their jobs voluntarily.
The announcement has faced criticism from Amazon employees, who argue that commuting is time-consuming and that the benefits of in-office work lack substantial data to support them.
Some workers who failed to comply with the existing three-day policy have reportedly been told they were “voluntarily resigning” and had their access to company systems revoked.
Amazon’s stricter stance contrasts with other major tech companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft, which offer more flexible work arrangements.
