**Amazon Employees Challenge New Return-to-Office Mandate, Seek Data-Driven Justification**

Amazon is currently facing significant employee pushback after CEO Andy Jassy announced a shift in the company's work policy. In September, Jassy declared that Amazon employees would be required to return to the office five days a week. He stated that this change was based on observations indicating better staff culture and efficiency when employees worked together in person.

More than 500 Amazon employees responded to this mandate by writing a letter to Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman, expressing their dissatisfaction. The employees voiced frustration over what they described as a non-data-driven explanation for the new policy. The letter, which was acquired and reported by Reuters, highlights a demand for concrete data to justify the shift from the previously allowed two days of remote work per week.

The employees' letter reveals their concern about making significant changes to their lives based on vague executive observations. They referred to the need for a more substantial, data-supported rationale for the shift. While Jassy has emphasized that in-person work helps with learning, modeling, practicing, and strengthening Amazon's culture, the company has yet to present any hard evidence to support these claims.

Contrary to Amazon's stance, numerous academic studies favor hybrid work environments. A recent study by economists from Stanford and several Chinese universities examined 1,600 employees at a technology firm. It concluded that those permitted to work from home two days a week experienced higher job satisfaction and significantly lower attrition rates compared to employees working five days a week in the office. This study also highlighted that remote work did not negatively impact performance reviews or promotion prospects.

Additionally, research by a University of Melbourne professor found that work-from-home arrangements could positively influence a company's stock value. The study noted that such setups are associated with better shareholder returns, suggesting material efficiency gains for corporations, rather than leading to moral hazards.

Amazon employees' letter followed a reportedly contentious meeting where Matt Garman told staff that dissatisfied employees could quit if they disagreed with the new policy. He also claimed that 90 percent of the employees he spoke to supported the return-to-office mandate—a claim met with significant skepticism. In stark contrast, an anonymous survey by a professional networking company revealed that 91 percent of Amazon employees were unhappy with the new policy.

As Amazon grapples with internal dissent, the demand for a transparent and data-backed approach to work policies underscores the evolving expectations of modern work environments.