Amazon AWS CEO Stands Firm On 5-Day Office Policy — Opponents Can Head For The Exit Door: ‘There Are Other Companies Around’

Amazon.com Inc’s AMZN AWS unit CEO, Matt Garman, has staunchly defended the company’s contentious new five-day in-office policy, suggesting that those who oppose it may consider other employment options.

What Happened: According to a Reuters report on Thursday, Garman communicated this during an all-hands meeting for AWS. He stated that the majority of workers he interacted with are in favor of the return-to-office policy, set to take effect in January.

“If there are people who just don’t work well in that environment and don’t want to, that’s okay, there are other companies around,” Garman expressed.

A significant number of Amazon’s employees have voiced their dissatisfaction with the policy, arguing that it unnecessarily extends commuting time and that the advantages of office work are not backed by independent data. Previously, Amazon had a three-day in-office policy. However, last month, CEO Andy Jassy announced the shift to a five-day policy to “invent, collaborate and be connected.”

Garman maintained that the company’s objectives were hard to accomplish if employees showed up only for three days at the office. He also implied that adhering to the company’s leadership principles was a challenge under the current policy.

See Also: Man Who Accidentally Threw Hard Drive Containing 8,000 Bitcoins Worth Half A Billion Dollars In Landfill Sues Local City Council For Not Excavating The Site

Why It Matters: This move follows a series of events where Amazon’s return-to-office policy has been in the spotlight. In September, Amazon announced the end of its work-from-home regime. This decision drew significant attention, with some former employees questioning the company’s motives.

Shortly after, a survey revealed that 73% of Amazon employees were considering quitting due to the new in-office work policy.

This discontent among employees contrasts with companies like Spotify Inc SPOT, which continues to support a work-from-anywhere policy.

Spotify’s chief human resources officer, Katarina Berg, said this month, “You can’t spend a lot of time hiring grown-ups and then treat them like children.”

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal