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☆ A top Amazon executive recently said he had 'no data' to support the company's return-to-office mandate, prompting criticism from frustrated employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Amazon employees are upset about the company's new RTO mandate. Amazon is famous for using data to make decisions — except when it's forcing employees back to the office. Hopkins's comments have added to rising frustration among some Amazon employees over the company's return-to-office mandate. Following Hopkins's meeting, Amazon employees took to internal Slack channels to vent their concerns. Another suspected Amazon was intentionally hiding data, and said the RTO mandate was in conflict with the company's "Earth's best employer" commitment.

Persons: Mike Hopkins, Hopkins, Andy Jassy, we're, Amazon, Rob Munoz, we've, Eugene Kim Organizations: Amazon Video, Amazon, Amazon's Locations: Seattle

☆ Leaked guidelines reveal more details about Amazon's controversial 'voluntary resignation' program for remote workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Amazon recently rolled out a so-called "return-to-hub" policy that forces employees to work out of centrally assigned office locations, called hubs. That could apply even if the rest of the employee's team is in other cities. Amazon managers should have "empathy and positive intent" when having these difficult conversations with their staff. 'Be prepared'Perhaps in anticipation of sharp resistance from employees, the guidelines provide Amazon managers with several talking points and best-practice examples to follow. If an employee asks why someone else may have a remote work exemption, managers are to say "personal circumstances are confidential."

Persons: Brad Glasser, we've, Amazon's, Eugene Kim Organizations: Amazon, Amazon's, Employees

☆ Leaked messages show Amazon will force a 'voluntary resignation' on employees failing to relocate near their team 'hubs'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon is asking employees to relocate to the "hub" office of their individual teams. Amazon employees who refuse to relocate near the "hub" office of their teams will either have to find a new job internally or leave the company through a "voluntary resignation." Under the initial return-to-office policy, Amazon employees could go into any office at least three times a week, regardless of where the majority of their team was. Some employees told Insider that made office work pointless because many still had to use video calls to connect with their teammates. Still, the change only adds to the frustration Amazon employees face.

Persons: Slack, Andy Jassy, Brad Glasser, there's, we've, Glasser, Amazon, it's, Amazon's, Beth Galetti, doesn't, Eugene Kim Organizations: Amazon, Employees, Amazon's Locations: Seattle , New York, Houston, Austin

☆ Elon Musk tried using fear to get Twitter employees back to still 'empty' offices. His new CEO is trying a different approach.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk for months has demanded Twitter workers come in five days a week. Elon Musk instituting a "culture of fear" at Twitter has not been enough to get the remaining employees to return to the office consistently. The new CEO is making a concerted effort to try and get people to want to come into the office, the person familiar said. Musk has been in the process of closing and shrinking Twitter offices for months. Prior to Musk's takeover, Twitter had 18 offices in the U.S.Are you a Twitter employee or someone else with insight to share?

Persons: Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Elon, Jack Dorsey, It's, Yaccarino, Twitter's, Musk, Kali Hays Organizations: Twitter, Workers, New, Twitter's San Locations: San Francisco, New York, Twitter's San Francisco, San Francisco , New York, Los Angeles, U.S, khays

☆ A lonely tech worker's post about being 'a lot happier' after returning to the office sparked a debate around if that's only for people without kids or a hard commute
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A tech worker's post sparked a debate on who benefits or is inconvenienced by returning to the office. Some workers said the return to in-person work helped them feel less isolated. Other workers pointed out that it's less ideal for workers with kids or long commutes. In the Blind post, the employee broke down his average day now that his company works in person, including a one-hour commute by train. A Microsoft employee added that returning to in-person work would be most ideal for people who lived in areas with high quality public transportation.

Persons: I've, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: Microsoft, Street Journal

☆ AT&T tells 60,000 managers to return to office, forcing thousands to relocate or quit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

About 60,000 AT&T managers are being told to return to the office by September. However, the mandate says workers must return to just nine locations, leaving an estimated 9,000 employees with the decision to quit or relocate. Bloomberg reported that the telecom giant is mandating a return to offices starting in September after three years of many employees working remotely. "If they want to be a part of building a great culture and environment they'll come along on these adjustments and changes,"Stankey told Bloomberg. "We've been reconfiguring our workforce for a very long time," Stankey told Bloomberg.

Persons: —, John Stankey, Stankey, We've Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Dallas, Bloomberg Radio Locations: Los Angeles, San Ramon , CA, Seattle, St, Louis, Washington ; Middletown , NJ, Bedminster , NJ, Atlanta

☆ Workers really don't want to RTO. Some say they would forgo thousands of dollars and take a 20% pay cut to keep working from home.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Remote workers are turning to workplace discussion platforms like Fishbowl to discuss return-to-office mandates. Some say they are willing to take pay cuts of up to a 20% to continue working from home. "There are more things in life than money," one Fishbowl user said in response to RTO incentives. Remote workers are turning to anonymous workplace discussion platforms to gauge whether they should take jobs with lower pay to keep their work-from-home privileges. The willingness for workers to forgo thousands of dollars in pay to work from home is nothing new.

Persons: Fishbowl, they'd, they're Organizations: Workers, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Washington Post

☆ Meta employees are split on RTO. Some found loopholes to working in-person while others hope for 'a better experience' in office.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

During the pandemic, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he envisioned remote work sticking around for good. After recent layoffs, however, he changed his tune, saying remote workers were less productive. Apple, Amazon, and Snap are just a few others that have said workers must return to the office, causing consternation among some of their employees. Several current employees spoke to Insider about the reversal of Meta's remote work policy. As companies become anxious about slowing growth and a tighter economic climate, layoffs and eliminating remote work are strategies executives are implementing to try and boost productivity.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, We're, Marc Benioff, Meta's, there's Organizations: Meta, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Google Locations: San Francisco

☆ Instead of dragging workers back to the office, CEOs can get more out of employees with innovations like AI and the 4-day workweek
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

More CEOs are stepping up their efforts to get workers back in the office, at least part time. CEOs might instead focus on AI and the four-day workweek to boost engagement. That's the thrust of why more CEOs are calling workers back to the office several days a week. So clocking badge swipes at the office seems likely to jeopardize the very thing that helped a record share of workers report being satisfied. Lyon said AI can help workers enjoy higher productivity and increased engagement, in part by weeding out some of the boring stuff.

Persons: —, It's, apoplectic —, Felicia Lyon, they'd, Lyon Organizations: Workers, Service, Amazon, Farmers Group, KPMG, Conference Board

☆ How to dress for your Wall Street summer internship, from Lululemon trousers to Allbird sneakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

From Allbirds sneakers to Lululemon pants, Wall Street work attire has gotten more casual. It's an awkward time for the Wall Street wardrobe. Trying to nail the modern Wall Street look can be intimidating. But blazers still have a place on Wall Street, even if they're not as omnipresent as they once were. All-white Sam Smith sneakers is now acceptable Wall Street internship attire.

☆ Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky calls out RTO mandates from execs 'going away to the Hamptons' and Europe this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In an interview earlier this week, Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky pointed out that a revival of return-to-office pushes are often coming from executives with the most amount of flexibility. Of course, Chesky is incentivized to encourage remote work, which can allow people to work while traveling for extended periods of time. He said monthly stays make up one-fifth of Airbnb's business and are one of its fastest-growing segments. Even so, senior-level workers generally get more flexibility in when and where they work. Check out: Bosses think in-office work 3 times a week is ‘the magical number.’ ‘It’s not,’ says CEO

☆ Wall Street style guide: Bankers break down what interns should — and should not — wear this summer, from Lululemon trousers to Allbird sneakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

From Allbirds sneakers to Lululemon pants, Wall Street work attire has gotten more casual. It's an awkward time for the Wall Street wardrobe. Trying to nail the modern Wall Street look can be intimidating. But blazers still have a place on Wall Street, even if they're not as omnipresent as they once were. "If you're going to do a sneaker, it's got to be what I call a 'fashion sneaker.'

☆ 'Oh Amazon, why are you making this issue so difficult?' Employees who can't commute to their assigned offices fear the consequences.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Change in remote statusSome Amazon employees hired during the pandemic said they were promised permanent remote work, through what they saw as a "handshake agreement." One employee shared their vice president's email in the Slack channel, saying this manager was willing to be more flexible. People walk into the lobby of Amazon offices in New York. Over 30,000 Amazon employees joined an internal Slack channel shortly after the RTO announcement and signed a petition to demand a reversal of the mandate. "Amazon, oh Amazon, why are you making this issue so difficult?"

☆ Amazon is tracking employee badge swipes ahead of its return-to-office mandate. Some workers are worried.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Eugene Kim | Julie Bort | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon tracks team-level office badge data, internal emails show. Companies commonly use badge data for facilities management and safety reasons. Workers fear this data will be used to monitor for compliance with its return-to-office mandate. One of the contentious issues among employees is how Amazon plans to use employee badging data to track them. Amazon currently shares a weekly building occupancy report with managers, according to emails seen by Insider.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Charlie Bell speaks, Amazon RTO, and the lucrative side of teaching ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon needs to watch out for Charlie Bell. A founder of Amazon Web Services and the firm's "best person in the room," Bell shook the industry last September when he joined Microsoft. Bell will be overseeing a new cybersecurity division at Microsoft — but insiders at both Amazon and Microsoft wonder if he'll go more directly up against his former employer. My colleague Ashley Stewart examines the growing threat of Microsoft now that Bell is free from his noncompete purgatory. Look into the future here for Bell — and Microsoft — without Amazon's restrictions.

☆ Amazon's rush to bring employees back to office stirs anxiety over badge tracking, relocation, and impact on performance reviews
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

this person asked in the Slack channel called "remote-advocacy," according to a screenshot seen by Insider. Change in remote statusSome Amazon employees hired during the pandemic said they were promised permanent remote work, through what they saw as a "handshake agreement." One employee shared their vice president's email in the Slack channel, saying this manager was willing to be more flexible. People walk into the lobby of Amazon offices in New York. Over 30,000 Amazon employees joined an internal Slack channel shortly after the RTO announcement and signed a petition to demand a reversal of the mandate.

☆ Young remote workers are missing out on crucial IRL feedback from colleagues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For young workers, not being in an office can mean they don't get as much feedback from colleagues. The pushback against remote work comes as more CEOs have been calling workers back to the office. But workers — especially those taking care of kids or others — grew accustomed to the flexibility that remote work can afford. Despite the risks, many of those potentially in danger of missing out on professional growth are most in favor of remote work, according to surveys, the Times noted. And some companies that have embraced remote work report success.

☆ JPMorgan is asking senior managers to be in the office five days a week. Here's the latest on return-to-office mandates.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Matt Turner | Dave Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On the agenda today:But first: JPMorgan is asking senior managers to be in the office five days a week. The company told senior managers this week that they "have to be visible on the floor" in a memo asking managing directors to be in the office five days a week. Last month, Disney told employees they were expected to be back to the office four days a week. And Amazon said it wants all employees back in the office at least three days a week by next month, setting off both internal opposition and support, and a scramble to get office space ready. A dozen former Kittyhawk employees told Insider that Kittyhawk found itself torn between the conflicting visions and shifting priorities of its billionaire founder and his handpicked CEO.

☆ YouTube TV contractors in early stages of organizing say they're being held in 'captive meetings' to discourage unionizing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

YouTube TV contractors are in the early stages of making a push towards unionization. The YouTube TV contractors' efforts follow that of their colleagues in YouTube Music. In response, Cognizant held two "captive meetings" with the YouTube TV team in the past two weeks to dissuade them from organizing, contractors say. Contractors working for Cognizant say they've been told they should not take these new signs down. In the past year, more than 300 Starbucks locations organized under the Starbucks Workers Union.

☆ Amazon's return-to-office mandate, supposed to happen in May, was so rushed, many offices won't be ready until September, including New York and Austin, leaked memo shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Amazon offices won't be ready to fully accommodate employees until September, an internal note said. The delayed office readiness dates for some locations show Amazon may have rushed its return-to-office announcement. Most offices around the Seattle headquarters area and those near the second headquarters in Arlington, VA, have readiness dates in May. The delayed office readiness of some locations shows how unprepared Amazon may have been for the RTO mandate announced in February. In an email to Insider, Amazon's spokesperson said the different readiness dates are needed to "make the necessary accommodations for everyone."

In this article CTRN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTCommuters exit a Wall Street subway station near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US. Yet, even as layoffs in tech and beyond mount, employees are pushing back against leaders who issue return-to-office mandates. Companies that look to recreate a pre-pandemic way of working are going to be left behind when it comes to keeping and attracting the best talent. At the CFO meeting, she told a majority male group of finance leaders to look around the room. And believe me, if being in the office was going to work to get more women and people of color promoted, it would have happened already.

☆ Employees would rather return to the office for a four-day workweek than have five days of hybrid work, a survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two-thirds of staffers prefer RTO for a four-day work week than work hybrid for five days, per a survey. One-third of employers would be more likely to consider a four-day work week if staff RTO every day. The UK trialed a four-day work week from June to December last year with 3,300 workers at 70 firms. And employers seem to agree — about one-third would be more likely to consider offering a four-day workweek if employees came to the office daily. On top of that, just under 90% of survey respondents said a four-day workweek could improve employee mental health and well-being.

☆ CEOs are quietly backtracking on remote work—and more companies could follow
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

More companies are backtracking on earlier pledges to let employees work from home on a full or part-time basis. Across industries, major corporations including Disney, Twitter and Starbucks are requiring employees to spend more time at the office. Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, is the latest leader to appear to reverse course after embracing remote work and criticizing return-to-office mandates. "Our hybrid approach empowers leaders to make decisions for their teams about how and where they work," a Salesforce spokesperson said in a statement. "And if leaders at big companies are adjusting their return to office policies, others will see that and think, 'I can do the same.'"

☆ Read the memo Amazon's HR chief sent rejecting employees' petition against the new return-to-office policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Eugene Kim | Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon's HR chief formally rejected an internal petition asking Amazon to reverse its return-to-office policy. Read the full text of Galetti's message to employees below. The petition, which was shared with CEO Andy Jassy's leadership team last week according to Galetti's note, was signed by roughly 30,000 employees. Employees shared messages of disappointment on the company's Slack channel following Galetti's announcement. Read the full text of Galetti's message below:Hello all –Andy's team shared your note last week, and I wanted to take a moment to follow up directly.

☆ In a leaked message, Amazon's HR chief flatly rejected an internal petition against the new return-to-office policy signed by roughly 30,000 employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Top HR executive Beth Galettie denied an internal petition asking Amazon to reverse its new return-to-office policy. Roughly 30,000 Amazon employees signed the petition protesting the new RTO mandate. Amazon's top HR executive formally rejected an internal petition put forth by roughly 30,000 employees over the company's new return-to-office policy. Galetti's message was in response to an internal petition signed by roughly 30,000 Amazon employees that followed the RTO mandate announcement last month. In the petition, Amazon employees argued, citing research, that remote work improved productivity, recruitment, work/life balance, inclusion efforts and reduced corporate expenses.

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