Comply or Quit: AWS Chief issues firm stance on return-to-office policy

Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman delivered a direct message to employees on Thursday, stating that those who disagree with the company’s newly implemented five-day in-office work mandate are free to leave. Speaking during an all-hands meeting at Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, Garman made it clear that the return-to-office policy is non-negotiable.

“If there are people who just don’t work well in that environment and don’t want to, that’s OK, there are other companies around,” Garman said.

The announcement follows Amazon's recent shift from its pandemic-era remote work policies, which previously required corporate staff to be in the office at least three days a week. Now, employees are expected to be present five days a week, with a deadline of January 2, 2024, to fully comply with the new mandate.

Amazon’s leadership, including Garman, sees the in-office model as crucial to the company’s future success, particularly as it faces increasing competition from tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI in the race to develop generative artificial intelligence technologies.

Employee Pushback

However, the policy has sparked backlash from some Amazon employees who argue they are just as productive working remotely or in a hybrid setting. Some also believe the mandate adds undue stress on families and caregivers who have grown accustomed to more flexible work arrangements.

A Slack channel created last year to advocate for remote work now has about 37,000 members, according to an insider familiar with the matter. This channel has become a platform for employees to share their frustrations about the return-to-office mandate.

Despite this, Garman suggested that most employees are on board with the change. “Nine out of 10 people are actually quite excited by this change,” he said during the meeting, while also acknowledging that some workers may still have flexibility under specific circumstances.

Preserving Amazon’s Culture

Garman emphasized that the return-to-office mandate is integral to preserving Amazon’s company culture and adhering to its well-known "leadership principles," which guide employee behavior and decisions. One such principle, “disagree and commit,” encourages employees to engage in respectful debates and push back on ideas before coming to a consensus. According to Garman, this type of engagement is difficult to achieve in virtual settings, citing Amazon’s video conferencing software, Chime, as an example.

“I don’t know if you guys have tried to disagree via a Chime call — it’s very hard,” Garman remarked to stress on the limitations of remote communication.