Amazon has issued a warning to US employees who are not spending enough time in the office, tracking their attendance and sending emails to those falling short of the mandatory three days a week. The tech giant’s policy, which took effect in May, requires workers to “badge in” at least three days a week.
The email, seen by the BBC, targeted employees who had attended fewer than three days a week for five or more of the past eight weeks, or for three or more of the past four weeks. Some staff said they had received the warning in error, and Amazon admitted that in some cases the messages may have been sent out mistakenly.
The move has exacerbated tensions within the company. In June, some Amazon employees staged a walkout to protest the return-to-office push, arguing that morale was at an “all-time low” due to a series of “short-sighted decisions” by leaders. Workers have questioned whether the warnings signal a stricter attendance requirement to come.
Amazon is not alone in tightening remote work rules. Disney and Zoom have also ordered staff back to the office. During the pandemic, many firms shifted to remote work, but some are now rolling back these policies over productivity concerns, though most have adopted hybrid working.
Amazon boss Andy Jassy said the new attendance requirement would help strengthen communication, career development and corporate culture. The company stressed that the warning emails were sent to those who fell short of the policy despite their building being ready for staff’s return.
