Amazon Enforces Five-Day Office Work Policy, Tells Unhappy Employees to Seek Jobs Elsewhere
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Amazon recently made a big announcement starting in January, employees must work from the office five days a week. This decision, communicated by Matt Garman, the CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS), sends a clear message to those who disagree with the new rule can look for other job opportunities. During a company-wide meeting, Garman emphasized the importance of face-to-face collaboration for sparking innovation and believes this change will help Amazon reach its ambitious objectives. For employees who prefer not to return to the office full-time, he suggested exploring other companies that might offer a more suitable work setup.
Garman told Reuters, “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.” He emphasized that he meant this positively, believing that Amazon thrives on in-person collaboration for innovation. He stated, “When we want to really innovate on interesting products, I have not seen an ability for us to do that when we’re not in-person.”
While Garman claims that most employees support the change citing that nine out of ten he spoke to were in favor. However, many Amazon workers have voiced their frustration. They argue that a five-day office requirement increases commute time and stress without clear proof of enhanced productivity. Employees reference studies indicating that remote work can be just as effective, if not more so.
Until now, Amazon required employees to work in the office three days a week, but some resisted this policy. Recently, CEO Andy Jassy stated that moving to a five-day schedule is essential for Amazon to “invent, collaborate, and be connected.” Employees who did not comply with the three-day rule were sometimes told they were “voluntarily resigning” and were locked out of company systems.
In contrast to other tech companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft, which allow two or three days in the office, Amazon is enforcing a stricter five-day requirement. Garman expressed excitement about this change, acknowledging that not everyone shares his enthusiasm. He stressed that achieving Amazon’s goals hinges on close teamwork, which he believes is best accomplished in person.
As the world’s second-largest private employer implements this policy, employees must now decide whether to commit to full-time office work or seek jobs that offer more flexibility.
