- Amazon workers in Seattle, Arlington and Washington DC workers could have to get closer to the office
- Amazon has moved workers for several months with reference to increased productivity
- Company’s office work policy now stands on five days
Amazon requires some business workers to move closer to their leaders and teams and target cities such as Seattle, Arlington and Washington DC (via Bloomberg).
Unlike other similar features that have been communicated via e-mail, the e-commerce giant is assumed to share the message via one-on-one meetings and town halls with those that are likely to be affected.
The report notes that thousands of employees could be forced to move from across different teams, but the company’s famous vocal workers are understandably frustrated by the decision.
Amazon asks the workers to move
Although relocation is not always a problem for new starters, many mid-career workers are hesitant to move because of personal and financial challenges-a step would mean that red families, children who change schools and partners seeking other jobs.
The workers concerned are said to have 30 days to decide, followed by a 60-day period to move or resign. It is also believed that those who refuse to move do not receive severance packages.
A spokesman for the company said Amazon’s moving trend has already been running for more than a year, with CEO Andy Jassy, who previously claimed that personal work boost ad-hoc interactions and therefore productivity.
Amazon now demands that workers come to the office five days a week, but this policy was delayed at the end of 2024 due to lack of readiness – there were simply not enough desks.
“We hear from the majority of our teammates that they love the energy from being placed together and when someone chooses to or is asked to move, we work with them to offer support based on their individual circumstances,” a spokesman for the company said.
Some workers worry that the shift in politics may be an effort to push workers away from the company – even though thousands lost their jobs in 2022 and 2023, Amazon’s redundancies have been relatively small in the following years (compared to other giants in the industry).
Techradar Pro have reached Amazon for a comment, but we did not receive an immediate response.
