Disgruntled Amazon corporate employees are reportedly devastated after a top human resources executive shot down an internal petition that asked the tech giant’s leaders to nix its return-to-office plan.
Roughly 30,000 employees had signed a petition begging CEO Andy Jassy to cancel his directive that the majority employees work on site not less than three days per week. The return-to-office plan is slated to take effect on May 1.
Beth Galetti, Amazon’s HR chief, shot down the petition in a message to organizers obtained by Insider and signaled that the return-to-office plan will move forward as scheduled.
“Given the massive size of our workforce and our big selection of companies and customers, we recognize this transition may take time, but we’re confident it is going to lead to long-term advantages to increasing our ability to deliver for our customers, bolstering our culture, and growing and developing employees,” Galetti said within the memo.
Galetti stressed that Amazon’s “commitment to [diversity, equality and inclusion], the security and well-being of our employees, and sustainability stays unchanged.”
The interior grumbling concerning the office requirement is the most recent sign of discord on the Seattle-based e-retail giant, which rattled employees by announcing one other sweeping round of 9,000 layoffs on Monday — just weeks after 18,000 were canned in a broad cost-cutting push.
Beth Galetti indicated Amazon’s return-to-office plan will move forward as scheduled.REUTERS
The petition’s backers aired their grievances about Galetti’s response in an internal Slack channel titled “Distant advocacy,” which was used to prepare the campaign.
“I’m collapsing here. I’m sorry I feel like a complete failure,” one Amazon staffer wrote, in response to Insider. “Are available in and work. Do as you’re told.
“I’m crying as my family prepares a meal.”
“I recovered from Alcoholism by WFH and now I don’t know,” one other wrote.
Amazon is requiring employees to work on-site three days per week.Christopher Sadowski
“I realize Beth can’t reply to every accommodation request, but I don’t think that is representative of the vision she describes and the disconnect is painful,” a 3rd worker said.
Within the petition, which first surfaced last month, Amazon employees argued they’re more productive and revel in a greater work-life balance in a distant work environment.
The employees also asserted that the three-day-per-week requirement runs contrary to Amazon’s stances on issues resembling reasonably priced housing, diversity and climate change.
Andy Jassy has argued the return-to-work plan will help foster collaboration.AP
Meanwhile, Jassy has argued that working more days on site will help construct effective collaboration and “deliver for patrons and the business.”
The Post has reached out to Amazon for comment.
Amazon is within the midst of a turnaround effort following a dismal 2022 by which the corporate’s stock plunged by 50%.
Amazon recently announced one other 9,000 layoffs.AP
In a memo to staffers, Jassy said the most recent round of 9,000 layoffs was a “difficult decision, but one which we expect is best for the corporate long run.”
The layoffs hit the corporate’s cloud computing division Amazon Web Services, its People experience and Technology unit (PXT), its promoting department and its Twitch live video streaming division.
Amazon has joined other tech giants, including Meta and Google, in conducting layoffs in response to a serious downturn within the sector and deteriorating US economic conditions.