'I Will Not Go Back': Amazon Workers Fight Andy Jassy's RTO Mandate With Mass Job Applications

Hired remotely during the pandemic, Laura says she had understood that there was no expectation to return to Amazon's offices

CEO Andy Jassy has repeatedly stressed that fully remote work is “not going to work out” for employees at Amazon.

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Amazon's recent directive requiring employees to return to the office five days a week has sparked frustration and uncertainty among its workforce. Laura, a four-year Amazon employee, was among those caught off guard by the news. She first learned about the change when her husband forwarded her a news article while she was working from home, according to a report by Fortune.

"At first, I didn't quite believe it," Laura told Fortune. "Who expects to get career-altering news from a news article instead of your employer?" Laura expressed disappointment with how the information was conveyed, saying, "It's a pretty horrible way to find out about something that’s going to impact your life in a huge way. I really would have liked personal communication from my manager, but that didn’t happen for a couple of days."

Hired remotely during the pandemic, Laura says she had understood that there was no expectation to return to Amazon's offices. However, that changed in 2023 when CEO Andy Jassy announced a shift, urging employees to return to the office for at least three days a week.

"The original return-to-office (RTO) mandate was tough, but the latest one is impossible," Laura said, adding that it led her to the conclusion that her time at Amazon is coming to an end. Even if she could manage the commute, she stated that the company’s shift on remote work has eroded her trust.

“Honestly, I’ve lost so much trust in Amazon leadership,” she said. “I’ve been updating my resume and portfolio and applying for new jobs on LinkedIn.”

Laura is not alone in her frustration. Several Amazon employees told Fortune they are actively seeking new opportunities following the RTO mandate. Two employees revealed they learned about the policy change from the media rather than through internal communication. One employee has already handed in their notice, while another has received two interview offers within 48 hours of the announcement.

CEO Andy Jassy has repeatedly stressed that fully remote work is “not going to work out” for employees at Amazon, and some experts believe that the five-day mandate could be a negotiation tactic to get employees to comply with the original three-day office requirement.

Ben, another Amazon employee, said he was not complying with the previous hybrid policy and lives three hours away from an Amazon office. “I decided not to make life choices based on Amazon, as they can fire me at will anyway,” he said. “I don’t want to make long-term life changes because a manager decided I should start going to the office when I was hired virtually and promised remote work.”

Despite the company’s stance, some managers have continued to assure new hires that remote work is still possible, even after the three-day RTO mandate. One employee reported being hired remotely in May 2023, a month after the initial RTO announcement.

Amazon’s internal struggles with remote work have left many employees questioning their future with the company as the five-day mandate looms.