In remarks made at an all-hands meeting for AWS, unit CEO Matt Garman stated that the majority of employees he has consulted—nine out of ten—are in favor of the policy, which is set to begin in January, as noted in a transcript reviewed by Reuters. He implied that non-compliance could lead to resignation.
Garman remarked, "If there are individuals who do not thrive in that environment and prefer not to participate, that's perfectly fine; there are other companies available." He emphasized the importance of in-person collaboration for driving innovation, stating, "When we aim to truly innovate on exciting products, I have not observed our capacity to achieve that without being physically present."
The policy has sparked discontent among many Amazon employees, who argue that commuting is a waste of time and that the advantages of working in an office lack independent validation.
Previously, Amazon enforced a three-day in-office requirement, but CEO Andy Jassy announced last month that the company would transition to a five-day model to enhance "innovation, collaboration, and connectivity."
Some employees who had not adhered to the policy were informed that they were "voluntarily resigning" and subsequently locked out of company systems.
As the second-largest private employer globally, following Walmart, Amazon has adopted a more stringent approach to returning to the office compared to many of its tech counterparts, such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft, which have implemented two- to three-day in-office requirements.
Garman expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming change, stating, "I’m genuinely looking forward to it." He acknowledged that not everyone shares his sentiment, emphasizing the challenges of achieving the company's objectives with the current requirement of just three days of in-office work.
An Amazon representative chose not to provide any comments.
Garman pointed out that under the existing three-day policy, "we didn’t really achieve much; we missed out on collaborating and learning from one another."
He specifically mentioned that adhering to the company's leadership principles, which guide Amazon's operations, has become increasingly difficult with the current arrangement.
"You can't truly internalize them just by reading them online; they need to be experienced in daily interactions," he remarked.
He highlighted one principle, "disagree and commit," which suggests that employees can voice their concerns but should fully engage in projects as directed by leadership. Garman noted that this principle is not well-suited for remote work.
"I’m not sure if you’ve attempted to express disagreement over a Chime call," he said, referencing the company's internal communication tool. "It’s quite challenging."