Amazon’s CEO defends return-to-office policy

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is pushing back on claims that his return-to-office mandate was a “backdoor layoff.” In a transcript of an all-hands staff meeting seen by Reuters and CNBC, Jassy said the move “is very much about our culture and strengthening our culture.”

In September, Amazon announced that it would start making employees return to the office five days per week starting January 2nd, 2025. The e-commerce giant previously required employees to work in the office three days per week. Some speculated that the five-day-per-week mandate is a “layoff in disguise,” intended to push out employees who couldn’t or wouldn’t make the full return.

“A number of people I’ve seen theorized that the reason we were doing this is, it’s a backdoor layoff, or we made some sort of deal with city or cities,” Jassy said during the meeting, according to Reuters. “I can tell you both of those are not true. You know, this was not a cost play for us.” Amazon has laid off more than 27,000 workers since 2022.

Recent reports suggest many Amazon employees aren’t happy with the return to office mandate, with some even threatening to quit, according to a report from Fortune. Last month, hundreds of employees signed a letter in protest of comments from Amazon Web Services head Matt Garman, who said “there are other companies around” for workers who don’t want to come in five days per week.