Back to the office at Amazon: the CEO's arguments for ending teleworking

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In a general meeting including Reuters and CNBC obtained the transcript, Andy Jassy made it clear what his intentions are regarding telework at his company. ” This decision concerns our corporate culture and its strengthening “, insists the CEO of the group, brushing aside accusations that this measure would be a ” disguised social plan ». A direct response to the speculations that are stirring the corridors of the e-commerce giant .

A decision that shakes the Amazon empire

The change is radical: from January 2, 2025, employees will have to be present in the office five days a week, compared to three currently. A decision that was announced at the end of September by the leader. As expected, the latter triggered a wave of internal protests.

The hunt for teleworking is therefore starting again in earnest, and to contest it, hundreds of employees have signed an open letter. They are particularly protesting against the comments of Matt Garman, head of Amazon Web Services (AWS), who suggested that those who were unhappy should “look elsewhere ” if the decision did not suit them. Words that almost remind us of those of a certain Elon Musk, two years ago.

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Corporate culture as a line of defense

” Some think that we have made an agreement with the cities, others that it is a roundabout way of reducing staff. Both are false” assures Jassy. ” It's not about saving money “. A justification that is hard to convince for two reasons. The first is that Amazon has experimented extensively with remote work during the pandemic, and this experience has demonstrated that remote work can be just as productive and efficient for many tasks.

The second, and certainly the most important, is that the group has already cut more than 27,000 jobs since 2022. Indeed, Amazon had recruited massively during the pandemic to cope with explosive demand. This rapid growth has proven too complex to maintain in the long term. However, the CEO insists: this mandatory return to the office is only intended to strengthen the company culture, not to push employees out.

An ambiguous position and statements that seem difficult to take literally; this return to the office and the reasons that led Jassy to organize it are probably more complex than he lets on.

• Amazon is imposing a mandatory return to the office 5 days a week from January 2025, in the name of corporate culture, despite a wave of internal protest.
• CEO Andy Jassy denies accusations of disguised dismissal.
• Amazon has already eliminated 27,000 jobs since 2022, which fuels skepticism around the real reasons for this anti-telework policy.

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