73% of Amazon Employees Consider Leaving Over Return-to-Office Mandate

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ) employees are contemplating leaving their positions following CEO Andy Jassy’s decision to implement a full-time return-to-office policy.

According to a recent survey on Blind, a significant number of Amazon workers are planning to take drastic measures, such as seeking employment elsewhere. The survey revealed that nearly 73% of Amazon professionals are considering a job search due to the in-office work requirement. Additionally, 80% of the 2,585 surveyed Amazon employees reported knowing colleagues who are also thinking about leaving. The policy, which Jassy announced, has particularly affected morale, especially among working parents.

Amazon employees are hopeful that leadership will reconsider the policy, which is scheduled to take effect in 2025. An internal survey circulated on Slack channels, including one associated with a “remote advocacy” group, is aimed at providing feedback to Jassy and other top executives.

The return-to-office mandate is part of a larger strategy by Amazon to streamline operations and reduce layers of management. In a memo issued on September 16, Jassy informed employees that the company would be cutting managerial layers and requiring a return to the office five days a week beginning in January 2025. This initiative is intended to address inefficiencies caused by excessive meetings and approval processes.

However, the return-to-office policy has not been uniformly applied across all Amazon subsidiaries. Employees at Amazon’s One Medical subsidiary, for instance, are only required to be in the office three days a week starting in October. This inconsistency has reportedly caused additional dissatisfaction among Amazon’s broader workforce. Despite these reports, an Amazon spokesperson has denied that such discrepancies exist.

The new policy has also drawn external criticism, particularly in the UK, where the government has been advocating for more flexible working rights. The UK government argues that flexible work arrangements improve performance and employee loyalty, in contrast to Amazon’s belief that in-office work fosters better collaboration and innovation.

Amazon’s rigid stance on the return-to-office mandate has already led to increased resignations, particularly within Amazon Web Services (AWS). In December, a significant number of AWS employees reportedly resigned, citing the inflexible return-to-office policy as their primary reason for leaving.

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