16,000 Amazon workers launch a petition to fight return to office mandate

What’s going on:   

Amazon employees took to the company’s internal website to express their disapproval of the new return-to-office decree implemented by CEO Andy Jassy, flooding it with opposition messages.  

They started up a Slack channel and composed a petition directed to Jassy and the S-team, pleading them to revoke the mandate just days after its announcement. 

Since its inception, the group has expanded to include a whopping 16,000 members, with 5,000 employees having put their names on the petition. 

Why it matters:  

The announcement completely took staff members by surprise who had posted in the Slack channel; many voiced their exasperation with having to make alternate childcare plans, and the fact they would have to find caretakers for elderly family members, and possibly even relocate to be within a reasonable commuting distance from the office. 

Showing solidarity with the petition, numerous employees are setting their Slack status to “Remote Advocacy.” 

How it’ll impact the future:  

In addition to expressing their apprehensions about the new return to work mandate, the Amazon employees’ petition presents facts and research that shows the benefits of remote work, including augmented productivity and the capacity to attract and maintain talent. 

As many employers and organizations push their employees (unwillingly) back into the office, more employees will fight back or express their discontent, or even leave the company. Employers should be wary of this and should take heed when their workers say that they prefer remote or hybrid working.