It’s past the time to disagree and commit: Amazon CEO tells remote employees

SAN FRANCISCO: As several Amazon workers have reportedly chosen to quit rather than relocate to various main work hubs, the company’s CEO Andy Jassy has a stern message for those who don’t want to return to work.

According to a report from Insider, Jassy told employees who don’t want to return to the office that “it’s not going to work out for you”.

“It’s past the time to disagree and commit. If you can’t disagree and commit, it’s probably not going to work out for you at Amazon because we are going back to the office at least three days a week,” he was quoted as saying.

Jassy said his decision to have employees return to the office was a “judgment call” and that employees can leave if they don’t want to comply.

“It’s not right for all of our teammates to be in (the office) three days a week and for people to refuse to do so,” the Amazon CEO added.

Amazon is reportedly cracking down on employees who refuse to return to the office.

In July, leaked messages seen by Insider suggested that Amazon would force a “voluntary resignation” on employees who don’t relocate to the in-person hubs.

As per the e-commerce giant's guidelines, remote workers are expected to join a main Amazon hub by the first half of 2024.

"Those who are unwilling or unable to comply are being forced to find work elsewhere, and some are choosing to quit," earlier reports mentioned.

A company spokesperson had confirmed the relocation policy, saying it affects a small percentage of the company's workforce.

"It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, so we decided that the best thing to do was to communicate directly with teams and individuals who are affected to ensure they’re getting accurate information that’s relevant to them," the spokesperson had said in a statement.

For employees affected by the relocation policy, Amazon is asking that they move to a designated hub, which could be Seattle, Arlington, New York, Chicago, San Francisco or another main office.

"Some employees see it as a stark reversal from the company's approach during the pandemic," according to reports.

On May 31, hundreds of Amazon employees staged a walkout at the company’s headquarters in Seattle over the company’s return-to-work policy and its lack of progress on climate change initiatives.

Amazon mandated its return-to-office policy from May 1, with employees required to be back in offices at least three days per week.

The e-commerce giant has also laid off 27,000 employees in two job cut announcements.