News/Commentary

Entitled Amazon workers balk over strongly worded message ordering them back to the office

August 11, 2023 | | Print Article

Amazon employees are pitching a fit after being warned they are expected to work in an office at least three days a week and that many of them are “not currently meeting” that requirement.

(Video Credit: KING 5 Seattle)

New outrage was kindled among workers after Amazon sent out an email on Wednesday to those that have failed to comply with the new company office mandate which went into effect in May.

“We are reaching out as you are not currently meeting our expectation of joining your colleagues in the office at least three days a week, even though your assigned building is ready,” the email warned corporate employees, according to screenshots that were posted on the anonymous corporate message board Blind. “We expect you to start coming into the office three or more days a week now.”

“If there is a specific reason prohibiting you from doing so, or you believe you received this email in error, please have a conversation with your manager as soon as possible,” the email continued.

Many Amazon workers started working remotely during the pandemic and are now balking at being forced back into an office. Some employees believe they received the message by mistake.

In May, when the mandate first surfaced, hundreds of employees staged a walkout to protest the return-to-office policy. They said morale at the company was at an “all-time low” due to a series of “short-sighted decisions” by leaders. This latest email may result in something similar. Protests are already hitting Europe.

“Is this supposed to scare people?” an Amazon employee wrote in an internal Amazon Slack channel which was then obtained via screenshot and reported by Business Insider.

Another Amazon worker cuttingly described the email chastisement as “peak absurdity.” That person claimed that the email was sent to many employees by mistake who are already complying with the order. A number of workers filed an internal ticket asking if the attendance warnings were a glitch in the system.

The New York Post reported, “In a response to the concerns, Amazon said the RTO email was sent to employees who had badged into their assigned office fewer than three days per week for five or more of the previous eight weeks, or who fell short of the three-day-a-week requirement for three or more of the last four weeks despite their building being ready.”

Amazon did admit the email may have been sent to some workers by mistake.

“While we’ve taken several steps to ensure this email went to the correct recipients, we recognize that there may be instances where we have it wrong,” the company stated. “If you believe that you received this email in error, please reach out to your manager to discuss your situation and ensure it is accurately reflected in the system.”

Despite the caveat, paranoia kicked in as a number of workers wondered if the email was yet another sign of additional layoffs heading their way or perhaps an even more stringent attendance policy on the horizon, according to Business Insider.

The attendance mandate is not the only new development as Amazon implements its strict return-to-office policy.

“Amazon managers have begun telling some employees that they needed to relocate to a central ‘hub’ or leave the company, The Information reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Impacted workers reportedly have until Sept. 15 to make a decision on the policy,” the New York Post reported.

Amazon has laid off approximately 27,000 workers since last fall. That includes 9,000 who were cut in March.

The retail giant is joined by X, Disney, and Zoom in requiring workers to return to physical offices.

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