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The HR department at Amazon is likely to have a busy inbox in the coming months, as the firm tells staff to relocate or resign.
Amazon is asking thousands of employees in the US to move to central hubs or leave their jobs, as the company increases its investment in artificial intelligence.
Bloomberg reports that teams are being told to consolidate in Seattle, Washington, Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Amazon employs 1.56 million full-time and part-time staff worldwide, including 350,000 corporate employees.
An Amazon spokesperson told Bloomberg the initiative has been underway for more than a year, as “some teams have been working to bring their teammates closer together to help them be as effective as possible.”
Relocation or resignation terms
One employee wrote on Amazon’s internal messaging platform that their manager had given them 30 days to decide whether to relocate or resign. They then had 60 days to begin the move or leave the company without severance pay.
Some will be required to move across the country. Rather than announcing the mandate via mass emails, the company is communicating the requirement through individual meetings and town halls.
The relocation directive follows earlier changes to workplace policy. Earlier this year, Amazon began requiring staff to work in the office five days a week, prompting some to search for roles offering more flexibility. Since 2022, Amazon has laid off more than 27,000 employees as part of cost-cutting measures.
AI reshaping the workforce
The relocation push coincides with broader concerns among employees about the impact of automation. In a recent memo to staff, CEO Andy Jassy said he expects Amazon’s workforce to shrink “in the next few years” as AI takes over certain tasks.
The company is already using AI in its warehouses to speed up deliveries and has given its customer service chatbot AI capabilities.
Amazon disclosed in its February earnings call that it plans to spend about $105 billion in capital expenditure this year, with most of the investment directed toward AI. The company confirmed it intends to continue spending heavily on the technology.
The developments come as anxiety grows among workers concerned that AI-driven automation could lead to job losses in the years ahead, even as the company seeks to strengthen operations by concentrating teams in major hubs.
