Amazon AWS CEO warns staff: Return to office or resign

Amazon AWS CEO Matt Garman defended the decision to implement a five-day in-office work week starting in January 2024.

In Short

• AWS mandates 5-day office week from Jan 2024
• CEO Garman warns unhappy staff can leave
• Policy shift from AWS met with employee criticism

Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman has issued a clear warning to staff who are unhappy with the company’s new return-to-office policy, reported news agency Reuters. Speaking at an all-hands meeting on Thursday, Garman defended the decision to implement a five-day in-office work week starting in January 2024. He made it clear that employees who do not support the policy have the option to leave the company.

Garman’s comments come after some employees expressed frustration with the change, which moves away from the current three-day-a-week office requirement. He explained that while most workers support the shift, those who feel it is not suitable for them can seek employment elsewhere.

“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, according to a transcript of the meeting reviewed by Reuters. He added that working in the office is important for innovation and collaboration, and the company has found it difficult to develop new products when employees are not physically present.

The policy has drawn criticism from some Amazon staff who argue that commuting is time-consuming and that the benefits of working from the office are not supported by independent studies. Many employees feel that the flexibility of remote work, which became more common during the pandemic, should continue.

Amazon had previously been enforcing a three-day in-office policy. However, in August, Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, announced the shift to a five-day office schedule, emphasising the importance of working together in person to “invent, collaborate, and be connected.”

This hard stance has created tension within the company. Some employees who were not following the previous three-day policy were informed that they were “voluntarily resigning” and were locked out of Amazon's systems. This action has led to increased dissatisfaction among parts of the workforce, particularly those who believe that working remotely is more efficient.

Amazon, which employs more than 1.5 million people globally, has taken a stricter approach to the return-to-office mandate than many of its peers in the tech industry. Companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft have adopted more flexible policies, typically requiring employees to be in the office two to three days a week.

As the world’s second-largest private employer, after Walmart, Amazon’s decisions on workplace policies are closely watched. The company believes that being physically together in the office is essential for fostering creativity and collaboration, particularly as it works on new products and services.