Amazon Employees Walk Off Job to Protest Office Mandate, Layoffs
Hundreds of Amazon employees are walking off the job today to protest the company’s recent layoffs and return to office mandate.
More than 1,900 employees across the world have committed to walking out between noon and 1 p.m. local time, with more than 900 of those employees based in the company’s headquarters in Seattle. Those located outside Seattle will participate remotely.
More from Footwear News
Employees say they are walking out to protest recent layoffs, the mandated return to office plan and Amazon’s actions to reduce climate impact.
“The world is changing, and Amazon needs to embrace the new reality of remote and flexible work if it wants to remain an innovative company that attracts and retains world-class talent,” read a memo with details on the walkout.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees earlier this year that they would need to return to the office at least three days a week, starting in May. The move spurred close to 30,000 employees to sign a petition to cancel the office mandate, which was reportedly rejected by management.
In a statement to Footwear News, Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said the company is listening to employees but has been satisfied with the return to office movement thus far.
“There’s more energy, collaboration, and connections happening, and we’ve heard this from lots of employees and the businesses that surround our offices,” Glasser said. “We understand that it’s going to take time to adjust back to being in the office more and there are a lot of teams at the company working hard to make this transition as smooth as possible for employees.”
In regards to demands to focus more strongly on Amazon’s climate impact, Glasser said the company is aiming to become net zero by 2040 in line with Amazon’s Climate Pledge.
“While we all would like to get there tomorrow, for companies like ours who consume a lot of power, and have very substantial transportation, packaging, and physical building assets, it’ll take time to accomplish,” he added.
Like other technology companies. Amazon has also recently carried out large-scale layoffs across staff. Amazon has cut 27,000 jobs since November.
Best of Footwear News
With Minimum Wage on the Rise, These Are Some of the Highest Paid Retail Jobs
What Is Nike's Return Policy? Before You Shop at Nike, Know These Hacks
Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
