In a significant policy shift, Amazon has granted its managers the authority to terminate employees who do not adhere to the requirement of working in the office at least three days a week. This change, as reported by Insider, effectively allows managers to fire employees who fail to meet the company’s return-to-office mandate.
Under the updated policy, Amazon employees are now obligated to work in the office for a minimum of three days per week. Those who are unable to meet this requirement must seek a formal exemption from their manager.
The guidelines, distributed via Amazon’s internal intranet, outline the process for managers dealing with employees who do not comply with the three-day-a-week office mandate. Importantly, the new policy does not enforce immediate termination for non-compliance. Instead, it initiates a multi-step process to address the issue.
Initially, managers are expected to engage in a private discussion with non-compliant employees and follow up with a documented email. If non-compliance persists or if an employee remains resistant to returning to the office, a second meeting becomes necessary within a one-to-two-week timeframe.
During this second meeting, managers reinforce the requirement of physical office presence for a minimum of three days per week and explain the potential consequences of continued non-compliance, including disciplinary action and, ultimately, termination.
The guidelines state, “If the employee does not demonstrate immediate and sustained attendance after the first conversation, managers should then conduct a follow-up discussion within a reasonable time frame (depending on the employee situation, ~1-2 weeks). This conversation will 1) reinforce that return to office 3+ days a week is a requirement of their job, and 2) explain that continued non-compliance without a legitimate reason may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of your employment.”
Additionally, Human Resources representatives are involved in the process, holding the authority to issue written warnings and take further actions for policy non-adherence. Extended non-compliance could ultimately result in the termination of employment.
This shift in policy is reflective of Amazon’s strong push to reinstate a traditional office work environment after an extended period of remote work. Earlier directives had required corporate employees to return to the office for a minimum of three days per week starting in May, and a July directive suggested that remote-based employees should consider relocating near office “hubs” or accept a ‘voluntary resignation’ package. In September, Amazon introduced more detailed attendance tracking, moving away from its previous anonymized data policy by sharing individual attendance records with employees.
