Amazon has warned some employees of its US offices that it is closely monitoring their in-person presence at work, sending emails to those it believes are not complying with its return-to-office policies.
The letter highlights Amazon’s determination to enforce its rules amid an employee backlash over the policy, which requires workers to report to an office at least three days a week, and in the face of a broader push by companies to cut back on remote work.
Screenshots of the email circulating on social media show that Amazon told some employees that they are “currently not meeting our expectations for you to have your colleagues in the office at least three days a week, even though your premises are ready.”
“We expect you to start coming into the office three or more days a week now,” the email continued.
She added that since the policy went into effect in May, many Amazon employees have complied, “and you can feel the increase in energy and collaboration happening between Amazon and across the teams.”
On Blind, the social media platform where workers speak anonymously about their employers, an email survey elicited thousands of responses declaring Amazon’s message to be “BS.”
Some users identified as Amazon employees on the platform expressed anger at the email, while others supported the company’s crackdown.
However, other Amazon employees claimed to have received the email despite adhering to the policy, and some said they did not receive the company’s email despite never going to the office.
In response to CNN’s request for comment, Amazon said it went on to clarify who was supposed to receive the original message: those who rarely used workplace ID badges to enter Amazon’s office building.
The email was sent to employees who have had their badges on less than 3 days a week for 5 or more of the past 8 weeks, their badges have not been worn 3 days a week for 3 or more of the past 4 weeks, and their building has been ready for 8 weeks. or more,” said the follow-up memo to staff, a copy of which was shared with CNN.
The follow-up email acknowledged that some may have received the notice in error and urged those individuals to contact their managers to correct the error.
Amazon’s reference to employees comes as it tracks their attendance after more than 1,000 of the company’s employees They staged a strike May to protest office policy. Strike organizers have described the company’s approach as “tough, one size fits all”.
At the start of the pandemic, tech giants led the way in adopting remote work policies. Now, many are driving shipments in the opposite direction, and Amazon isn’t the only one. In June, Google Announce plans to enforce her hybrid three-day-a-week schedule more strictly.
In the same month, Metta As asked by her office workers To adopt a personal three-day schedule starting in September, though Previous forecasts in 2020 by CEO Mark Zuckerberg that up to half of the company’s workforce could work remotely by 2025.
This week, Zoom, the company whose videoconferencing software has become synonymous with remote work during the pandemic, too. announce A back-to-office policy that requires employees near the office to “be on site two days a week”.
until the Federal government Pays to return to personal work.
However, even as Amazon reprimanded some employees this week for not showing up in person, some expressed indifference to the warning.
“Negative,” an Amazon employee wrote on Blind. “I will keep WFH lmao.”
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