After Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos declared that the majority of Amazon employees would be back in their offices by the fall of 2021, there was much speculation as to how those who are unable or unwilling to return would be treated. Now Amazon has made an official statement which seems to emphasize consequences for those who resist the return.
According to a report from Reuters, Amazon said that managers could take into account an employee’s resistance to return to the office when deciding about potential promotions. The company went on to state that it encourages managers to evaluate people who agreed to come back to the office in addition to those who are remote, giving preference to the former for promotion.
An Amazon spokesperson was quoted as saying that the company considers many factors including performance and how a person contributes to the team when selecting new leadership, and that “certain rare exceptions may apply when a team member cannot return to the office.”
While Amazon is not the only tech company that plans to have employees back in the office soon, it appears to have taken a more direct stance when it comes to enforcing the policy. Companies like Twitter, Dropbox, and Cisco have all said they will allow employees to continue to work from home full-time if desired, but Amazon appears to put more emphasis on those who are willing to commute and work from the office.
For Amazon employees, the move adds another layer of pressure with regard to their performance during a time when the pandemic has already caused much disruption to the workplace. For those who are unwilling or unable to return to the office, the consequences could prove to be more serious if they are overlooked during promotion times.