Amazon to make some employees relocate for return to office mandate

By Spencer Soper

Amazon.com Inc. will require some corporate employees to relocate as part of a mandate requiring workers to be in the office three days a week, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest source of strain between the tech giant and its workforce following layoffs that began last year.
 

Who will have to relocate and when will be decided at the department level, said one of the people, who added that Amazon hasn’t yet determined how many employees will be affected. Some remote workers who were hired or moved during the pandemic will have to relocate closer to offices so they can meet the three-day requirement, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss an internal matter. 

“There’s more energy, collaboration, and connections happening since we’ve been working together at least three days per week, and we’ve heard this from lots of employees and the businesses that surround our offices,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We continue to look at the best ways to bring more teams together in the same locations, and we’ll communicate directly with employees as we make decisions that affect them.”

Morale at Amazon has taken a hit since the company began the firings late last year that ultimately affected about 27,000 employees. The Seattle-based company ordered most corporate staff to report to the office at least three days a week starting in May, a move that some employees protested during a May walkout in Seattle.

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