### Amazon Employees Push Back Against Mandatory Return-to-Office Policy

In a noteworthy pushback, over 500 Amazon employees have collectively voiced their dissatisfaction with a new return-to-office policy set to take effect early next year. The letter, sent to Matt Garman, CEO of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) unit, criticizes the policy and refutes Garman's claim that it has broad support among workers.

In an all-hands meeting on October 17, Garman asserted that nine out of ten employees he spoke with were in favor of the five-day in-office mandate. However, the employees' letter claims that these remarks are not reflective of the broader workforce experience at Amazon. The letter, which Reuters reviewed, described Garman's comments as "misrepresenting the realities of working at Amazon."

Responding to the criticisms, an Amazon spokesperson highlighted the company's support measures, which include commuter benefits, elder care, and subsidized parking rates aimed at easing the transition back to office work. Garman himself opined that greater in-office presence is necessary as collaboration had become challenging under the current three-day-per-week policy.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the return-to-office policy in September, which has sparked controversy and criticism within the company. Many employees argue that commuting adds unnecessary time and expense when remote work has been effective. In fact, some employees have indicated that they might leave Amazon due to this policy. The current enforcement measures even include regional office relocation, moving to Seattle, or voluntary resignation.

The letter to Garman highlights that his stance lacks independent data and "breaks the trust" of employees who understand and have experienced the benefits of remote work. It further argues that the new policy disproportionately affects protected classes, including those with neurodiversity or childcare responsibilities, contradicting Amazon's leadership principle to "Strive to be Earth's Best Employer."

To solidify their argument, the employees attached anonymous testimonials detailing how the five-day mandate would be impractical. One employee shared that their closest office is a four-hour commute, while another indicated that their spouse would need to quit her job to accommodate a move. Others argued that they are simply more efficient working from home.

The letter also pointed to a 2020 blog post by Garman, which highlighted the effectiveness of AWS operations during the early months of the pandemic when most workers were remote. While other tech giants enforce more flexible two- or three-day office policies, Amazon's rigid mandate aims to enhance worker collaboration, with Garman suggesting that the three-day model had failed to yield significant accomplishments.

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