An overwhelming majority of Amazon employees are expressing deep dissatisfaction over the company’s recent decision to end remote work and mandate a full return to office. According to a survey conducted by Blind, an online community where verified employees can discuss their work culture anonymously, 91% of Amazon employees are unhappy with the new policy requiring them to be in the office five days a week starting in 2025. The survey included responses from 2,585 verified Amazon professionals in the United States.
Since May, Amazon had allowed employees to work remotely up to twice per week, a policy that was closely monitored using badge swipes to track hours spent in the office, according to a report by Ars Technica. The new mandate, announced in a memo from CEO Andy Jassy, emphasizes the company’s belief that in-person work better facilitates learning, collaboration, and cultural strengthening.
The survey, conducted between September 17 and 19, found that 73% of Amazon employees are now considering looking for another job due to the return-to-office (RTO) policy, and 80% reported knowing someone at Amazon who is contemplating job hunting for the same reason. Additionally, 32% indicated that they already know colleagues who have resigned in reaction to the policy change. Some employees have even taken to online communities like Reddit, voicing concerns that the move is part of a strategy to reduce headcount, similar to tactics used by other companies during the post-COVID transition to in-office work.
Blind’s blog post highlighted anonymous employee comments that underscore the low morale and potential impacts on personal lives. One employee lamented, “My morale for this job is gone, gonna totally check out…” Another expressed frustration about the impracticality of commuting to an office that none of their teammates frequent.
Amazon, which employs 1.5 million full and part-time workers, per regulatory filings at the end of 2023, said it would make exceptions to its RTO policy for family emergencies, workers with sick children, and coding assignments requiring isolation. Nonetheless, the company maintains that the benefits of being physically present in the office are significant and align with its goal to “operate like the world’s largest startup.” However, some studies suggest that mandatory return-to-work policies can negatively impact employee productivity and morale, and companies like Apple, Microsoft, and SpaceX have faced senior talent exoduses due to similar mandates.