Amazon’s latest in-office policy is causing controversy after one of the top executives defended the new five-day in-person office requirement during a meeting on Thursday. The executive stated that employees should find a new job if they are unhappy with the changes.
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During the meeting, Matt German, CEO of Amazon Web Services, said, “If there are people who just don’t work well in that environment and don’t want to, that’s okay—there’s other companies around.” According to the New York Post, the quote was revealed in a transcript, which also revealed that he had spoken to nine out of ten employees supporting the new policy, which is set to take effect in January. He emphasized the importance of being present for work, as remote work can reportedly hinder collaboration and creativity.
The stricter policy comes after Amazon previously enforced a three-day in-office policy. However, CEO Andy Jassy announced last month that the company would change it to five days, stating there was a high need for connection, collaboration, and innovation. Employees who failed to meet the new policy standards were reportedly told they were voluntarily resigning and kicked out of company systems.
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Employees are reportedly frustrated with the new policy. They stated that commuting is a waste of time, and data doesn’t support that working from the office is more beneficial. Still, Amazon is emphasizing standing out from other big tech companies.
German also stressed that the company’s leadership principles, which guide their operations, are difficult to incorporate in a remote work setting.