Amazon employees are expressing discontent over the company's recent decision to revoke remote work flexibility, and the situation has been exacerbated by comments made by a senior executive.
During an internal staff meeting, Mike Hopkins, the SVP of Amazon Video and Studios, admitted that there was no data to support the company's mandate for employees to return to the office. This stands in contrast to Amazon's reputation for data-driven decision making, leading to frustration among many workers.
The new mandate, announced in February, requires most employees to work in the office at least three days a week, reversing a previous commitment not to enforce physical office attendance.
Hopkins mentioned reasons for eliminating flexible work options, claiming that CEO Andy Jassy and other executives believe that employees perform better when working together in person.
He also referred to a leadership principle encouraging employees to "have backbone, and disagree and commit," implying that now is the time to commit rather than disagree.
Despite data suggesting that remote work can increase productivity and employee happiness, Amazon's executives seem unwilling to consider these findings in their decision-making process.
Other companies are also pushing for a return to in-office work in 2023, possibly due to short-term financial considerations or a desire for increased control over employees.
Amazon workers have expressed their concerns through an internal petition, but the company appears determined to stick to its data-less decision, disregarding the disagreement from its employees.
