USA 
United Kingdom
Amazon employees have pushed back against the company’s recent return-to-office (RTO) policy, addressing a letter to Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman that calls for reconsideration of the mandate.
The letter, reportedly signed by more than 500 AWS employees, criticizes the full RTO policy requiring five days a week in the office starting next year, arguing that it is not supported by data and lacks the backing that Garman asserted.
The letter follows remarks Garman made at an AWS all-hands meeting on October 17, where he claimed that nine out of ten employees he’d spoken with supported the RTO policy. Employees refute the statement, stating that it “misrepresents the realities of working at Amazon” and that Garman’s comments “are inconsistent with the experiences of many employees.”
The company is accused of enforcing a policy that disregards the effectiveness of remote work, particularly for those with disabilities, family obligations, or long commutes, making it increasingly difficult for them to continue working for Amazon.
Since Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the RTO policy in September, employees across the company have voiced concerns, with many arguing that the RTO mandate is unnecessary, given the success of remote work during the pandemic.
Amazon’s leadership, however, has maintained that in-office work fosters better collaboration, with Garman noting he is “quite excited about this change” and describing remote work as less effective, particularly under the existing three-day-a-week policy, due to differing in-office schedules among employees.
Amazon's strict RTO mandate
Amazon’s RTO mandate, stricter than those of several tech peers with two- or three-day in-office policies, requires some employees to relocate to regional offices, the Seattle headquarters, or resign.
The letter describes Garman’s statements as “non-data-driven” and “breaking the trust” of employees who see remote work as beneficial.
It also includes anonymous stories from a dozen employees, underscoring the personal impact of the new RTO mandate. In one instance, an employee described living four hours from the nearest Amazon office; another detailed the challenges faced if required to relocate, as their spouse would have to resign to accommodate the move. Others highlighted that the RTO policy presents obstacles for employees in protected classes, including those who are neurodivergent or have childcare responsibilities, arguing that it contradicts Amazon’s goal to be “Earth’s Best Employer.”
Support for return to office
Amazon, while implementing the policy, has offered certain benefits like commuter support, elder care, and subsidized parking to ease the transition for employees. However, employees argue that these measures do not address the core issues with the RTO policy. Attached to the letter is a link to Garman’s own 2020 blog post, in which he praised AWS’s success while employees worked remotely, further supporting their call for flexibility.
As the RTO debate continues, commentators argue that organizations must balance in-person collaboration with the need to protect employee well-being and accommodate diverse workforce needs.
