Times have changed for the better when it comes to hybrid and remote working.
Many people have reported a healthier work-life balance with no more commutes or pressure to be in the office five days a week.
But this isn't the case for Amazon.
One employee found out her work routine was about to change not from the tech giant itself, but through a news article.
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“At first, I didn’t quite believe it,” she told Fortune after learning four hours would be added to her weekly commute. “After all, who expects to get career-altering news from a news article instead of your employer.”
She continued: “Which, to be honest, is a pretty horrible way to find out about something that’s going to impact your life in a huge way.
"I really, really would have liked a personal communication from my manager, but that didn’t happen for a couple of days.”
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The employee worked at Amazon for four years and said she was hired virtually during the pandemic with no expectation of returning to the office.
But, in 2023, CEO Andy Jassy announced that he wanted workers to 'go back to being in the office together the majority of the time' - at least, three days per week.
Once the shock of the news settled, the employee had a moment of clarity: “My months of struggling to make three days a week are over, and I know that my time at Amazon has to end.”
She went on: “I’ve been updating my resume and portfolio, and rage applying to new jobs on LinkedIn.”
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And she's not alone. Other employees told Fortune that they’re fed up with Amazon’s crackdown on remote work and are actively searching for new jobs.
One admitted to already handing their notice in and another said they’ve had two interview offers within 48 hours of the announcement.
“I was not complying,” the latter employee commented who lives three hours away from an Amazon office.
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“I decided not to make life choices as Amazon can fire me at will anyway, and I do not want to make long-term life changes because some manager decided I should start going to the office when I was hired virtual and promised I could work from wherever I want.”
Some managers were still telling new hires they could work from home even after the return-to-work policy was announced.
“For me, it’s not that I don’t want to go in the office, there is no office close to me,” the employee continued.
He mentioned that his manager had been covering for his absence from the office. But now that’s no longer an option.
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“I like my job at Amazon, but I need firm ground to stand on and they are not providing that,” another employee added.