Concerns over RTO planning are underscored by Amazon's reported lack of scope for its current internal policies. Bloomberg said that “employees in recent interviews complained about working from shared desks, overcrowded company cafeterias and a lack of conference rooms for confidential conversations or team meetings.”
The publication also highlighted employee dissatisfaction with having to work full-time in the office, while other tech companies have more lax policies. This could result in Amazon losing some of its best talent. According to the research from the University of Pittsburgh, Baylor University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, senior, skilled employees are more likely to leave a company due to an RTO mandate because they “have more connections with other companies.”
Employees looking to greener pastures could leave Amazon at risk of losing some of its most experienced workers. That's also what reportedly happened to Apple, Microsoft and SpaceX after their RTO mandates, according to a May study from researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan (PDF). Following Amazon's RTO announcement, 73 percent of the 2,285 employees Blind surveyed said they were “considering looking for another job” because of the rule change.
Finally, the ban on remote work, while giving employees a few months to figure out how to adapt, resulted in a lot of negative discourse, with Garman reportedly telling employees that if they don't work well in the office, “ that's okay; there are other businesses nearby.” As the November RTO study put it:
“An RTO announcement can be a major and sudden event that is unpalatable to most employees, especially if the decision is not well communicated, potentially triggering an immediate reaction from employees looking for and transitioning to a new job.”
Had Amazon communicated RTO dates more accurately once office plans were finalized, it could have alleviated some of the drama that followed the announcement and the negative impact it had on employee morale.
Amazon, in turn, has developed a tool for booking meeting rooms, which requires employees to commit to using the space so it doesn't go to waste, according to Bloomberg.
But as companies have now had years to map out their RTO approach, employees expect more precise communication and smoother transitions that align with the culture of their respective department. Amazon's approach missed these points.
