Amazon CEO Andy Jassy appears to be losing patience with remote workers refusing to return to the office.
The question of returning to the office has been plaguing some of the largest companies in the U.S., from Meta to Disney and Starbucks, as they struggle with workers who want to maintain flexibility during the pandemic.
Unfortunately for Amazon executives, bringing employees back to the office has been especially contentious.
After suffering everything from criticism to employee petitions, the Amazon boss appears to have reached his limit.
In a “Fishbowl” meeting earlier this month (the company’s name for the fireside chats), Jassy reportedly offered a challenge, suggesting employees would lose money on the payroll if they refused to return to their desks. a seat.
“Now is the time to disagree and commit,” Jassy said in a statement. Recording obtained by Insider. “If you can’t disagree and commit, I understand that too, but it’s probably not for you at Amazon because we’re back in the office at least three days a week, and it’s not for everyone. Our teammates are three days a week. But people refuse to do that.”
Amazon employees are also understandably reluctant to return to the office. In September 2022, Jassy told employees that he had There are no plans to ask them to return to their desks.
Jassy had sent a similarly light-hearted message earlier in October, when he said: Managers will be allowed to decide How often they want their teams to return to the building.
However through February 2023Less than six months after Jassy said he had “no plans” to force employees back, Amazon workers were told they would need to be back in the office for most of the week.
Jassy reportedly reiterated rhetoric that has emerged in recent months: there are consequences for not complying with demands to return to the office.
In July, Insider reported that Amazon employees would be forced into “Voluntary resignation” If they refuse to return, unless they are one of the few who have permission from the company’s leadership (known internally as the S-team).
Amazon did not respond wealth Request for comment on the latest developments.
A shift toward the “future of work”
During the meeting, Jassy reportedly said that of the 60 to 80 CEOs he spoke to, “almost all” wanted their employees back in the office.
Some big names have definitely changed their attitudes about remote work.
May 2020 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Celebrating the virtues of remote workThis will allow the business to hire talent from further afield that it has never been exposed to before, it said.
Likewise, Zoom has previously been the poster child for remote work — after all, it is a tool that has allowed tens of thousands of businesses to continue communicating during lockdown.
In January 2022, Kelly Steckelberg, Zoom’s chief financial officer, said that less than 2% of employees were working in the office. market watch: “Workers genuinely want choice, and they choose to continue working from home.”
Yet earlier this month, the bosses of the online communications company told employees they expected employees to return within two days a week.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said: “We believe a structured hybrid approach — meaning employees who live close to the office and need to be on-site to interact with the team two days a week — will work best for Zoom. “
Unfortunately for their employees, this is clearly at odds with the wishes of the vast majority of American employees.
according to a Bank Rate Survey Of the 2,367 people, 89 percent said they want flexible work arrangements: whether it’s a four-day work week, hybrid work or fully remote work.
The message was clear for Jassy’s employees, who reportedly told a company meeting that it was his “judgement” and rejected a petition signed by 30,000 employees without showing any Signs of faltering.
Svlook
