AWS CEO Matt Garman has apparently lashed out at employees unhappy with the company’s forced return-to-the-office policy.
Earlier this year, Amazon Web Service (AWS) announced that staff would be required to be in the office five days a week, ending its hybrid work policy. Employees were given until January 2 to return to work full-time.
Somewhat predictably, this did not go down well. Reports emerged showing that as many as 90% of employees were unhappy about this, with 73% considering moving jobs – which Garman has now given his blessing.
But not in a bad way
“If there are people who just don’t work well in that environment and don’t want to, that’s not a problem. There are other businesses nearby,” Garman said, adding that the decision was made to give employees the opportunity ” to invent, collaborate and be connected.”
But compliance with the hybrid work order was fiercely enforced, with some employees who did not comply with the policy being told they were “voluntarily resigning” and locked out of the company’s systems.
The policy has certainly proven unpopular with some of the workforce, who will now lose the benefits of working from home and spend more time commuting. But AWS wants to make it clear that this is a positive change.
“I don’t mean that in a bad way, by the way,” he said, adding, “We want to be in a collaborative environment.”
“If we really want to innovate on interesting products, I haven’t seen the opportunity to do that without being there in person,” Garman said.
While a few major companies are reducing work orders, Spotify has bucked the trend. In a recent statement, Spotify continues to stand by its hybrid work policy as Chief HR Officer said the company trusts its employees, adding that they don’t want to “treat them like children.”
Via Reuters