I work at Amazon and plan to ‘coffee badge’ instead of working in-office.

• Amazon announced a return-to-office mandate requiring five days a week in the office from January.
• One employee based in Germany told Business Insider that he plans to continue “coffee badging.”
• The engineer said the new mandate was a “betrayal” and has eroded employees’ trust in leaders.

Amazon has recently informed its workforce about a new directive that mandates employees return to the office five days a week starting in January 2025. This decision has sent shockwaves throughout the organization, especially among those who have been accustomed to remote work since the pandemic.

Many employees, particularly on my team, expressed their shock and uncertainty following the announcement. Some are contemplating leaving Amazon altogether, as this shift is perceived as a breach of trust by many who were initially hired under different terms, especially those who were remote employees from the outset.

Leading up to this announcement, it became increasingly evident that Amazon’s leadership was steering toward a stricter office-return policy. With the previous mandate already in place, tension has been mounting over the past several months.

In Germany, the existing requirement for employees to be in the office three days a week was initiated back in June. However, unlike in other countries, the German policy does not enforce a specific number of hours that must be spent in the office each day. Employees are still navigating the adjustments from the latest return-to-office push.

Although I live close to my workplace and do not mind extending my office days, many others do not share this sentiment. Some colleagues have expressed their anxiety over this change, and some even plan to resort to “coffee badging,” where they swipe their office badges just to meet attendance requirements briefly.

There are concerns that this return-to-office policy is a guise for silent layoffs. Some of my talented coworkers have already left the company after the last mandate, leading to a wave of anxiety among remaining staff. Many are seriously contemplating jobs with lesser pay just to escape the new restrictions.

The flexibility that remote work provided did not hinder productivity; in fact, it fostered an environment where employees could thrive professionally. I believe that as long as employees are dedicated to their work, the location does not matter. Team collaborations and brainstorming sessions can occur without the necessity of being physically present every day.

This new requirement is going to be challenging for those who have relocated, parents with childcare obligations, or individuals suffering from social anxiety. The sudden push to return to the office may adversely affect their well-being and work-life balance.

Aside from the return-to-office mandate, I recently discovered through the news that Amazon is planning to reduce the workforce of middle management by 15%. This revelation was particularly unsettling, given the already strained resources where many employees are shouldering increased workloads.

With Amazon’s intention to trim down staff, the situation looks bleak, especially for employees whose teams are already stretched thin. Currently, many managers oversee teams of eight to twelve, while ideally managing around six people. This imbalance leads to burnout among managers and insufficient time for meaningful conversations about career growth and innovation.

There is a prevailing sentiment among many colleagues that they intend to leave Amazon when the job market becomes more favorable. The combination of the return-to-office policy and management cuts has only intensified frustrations and stress within the workplace.

Given this climate, it is likely that other leading tech companies may follow suit in enforcing similar back-to-office mandates.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Amazon mentioned that bringing employees together in the office enhances learning, collaboration, and connection, asserting that this shift aims to strengthen the company culture.

Source: Business Insider