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Amazon is intensifying its push to centralize its workforce by requiring thousands of employees to move closer to designated office hubs. In some instances, workers are being asked to relocate across the country as part of the tech giant’s latest restructuring efforts, according to BisNow.
The new directive is being delivered through private meetings and town halls rather than mass emails, and relocation decisions are being handled by individual teams. A company spokesperson said the goal is to group teams together at designated locations rather than allow scattered attendance at various regional offices.
This comes on the heels of a memo from CEO Andy Jassy stating that artificial intelligence will increasingly handle repetitive and routine tasks, reducing the need for some corporate roles. Jassy also indicated that new jobs requiring specialized expertise will be created as the company incorporates more AI tools.
The relocation policy affects teams across the company and represents a more targeted enforcement of Amazon’s office attendance rules. Although Amazon began requiring employees to return to offices five days a week at the start of 2025, staff were previously allowed to work from any Amazon office, including locations in New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, and Boston.Â
Many of these employees were originally hired into fully remote roles during the pandemic.
Internal messages reviewed by Bloomberg show that some workers were told they had 30 days to decide whether to move, and 60 days to report to the new location. No severance pay would be provided to those who decline to relocate.Â
Other employees have been given longer timelines — up to a year — depending on their department and responsibilities. Relocation support is being offered, but the details vary by case.
Amazon had approximately 1.5 million employees as of the end of 2024, making it one of the largest employers in the world. The number of employees affected by the new policy has not been disclosed, but it is expected to impact several teams.
Some workers have turned to internal message boards to express frustration, especially those hired under the assumption their roles would remain fully remote. Tension has been especially high in departments where job duties haven’t changed but workers are still being asked to move.
Amazon has gone through significant staffing changes since the pandemic, including laying off 27,000 employees in 2022 — the largest reduction in its history. While Amazon executives say the new relocations are consistent with long-standing goals to increase face-to-face collaboration, some employees view the latest requirement as another pressure point in a company already undergoing major organizational changes.
Executives maintain that having teams work from the same location improves learning, communication, and problem-solving. However, with some employees facing moves without severance options, it remains uncertain how many will stay with the company under the new terms.
