Amazon recently decided to return to a 100% on-site work model, which requires employees to be in the office for five days a week. The decision has led to dissatisfaction among the majority of its workforce. According to a survey conducted by the employment platform Blind, 91% of Amazon employees expressed their discontent with CEO Andy Jassy’s new policy.
Dissatisfied employees. Blind carried out the survey after Amazon announced the return-to-office plan. It was conducted among 2,585 Amazon employees verified through their corporate email accounts.
Participants were asked specific “Yes” or “No” questions about the new job requirements. When asked if they were satisfied with Jassy’s decision to mandate in-office work five days a week starting in January 2025, only 9% of respondents indicated satisfaction, while 91% were opposed to the measure.
Amazon employees are starting to look for new jobs. Employee discontent is evident, with 73% of respondents considering changing jobs due to the new office attendance rules. Additionally, 80% reported knowing colleagues who are also contemplating finding new jobs.
One Amazon employee stated, “RTO blanket policy is crazy, particularly for those of us who were hired remote and FAR from an office. I have kids and family here, so unwilling to relocate.” He added, “Even if I didn’t, there’s too great a risk I’d be laid off in 6 months anyway, so why risk a move?”
Some employees have already left due to the RTO policy. In the survey, 32% reported knowing of colleagues who had resigned due to the return-to-office policies, while 68% couldn’t attribute their co-workers’ resignations to the new requirement.
The high cost of returning to the office. A report from consulting firm Gartner reveals that many companies are facing significant challenges as a result of their return-to-office policies. According to the report, 74% of HR managers believe that these policies have led to ongoing conflicts between companies and their employees.
Gartner’s data also indicates that work-life balance is one of the top five reasons employees cite for leaving their jobs. Employees at companies with return-to-office policies are 16% less likely to remain with their current employer.
From dissatisfaction to a decreased commitment. The dissatisfaction stemming from Amazon’s new return-to-office policy has the potential to decrease commitment among employees. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 report highlights that disengagement is a serious problem affecting 62% of employees, with 15% already quiet quitting.
According to Gallup, this lack of commitment is detrimental to companies’ productivity, leading to global losses of $8.9 trillion, equivalent to 9% of the world’s GDP.
Image | Arlington Research
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