Amazon-owned Twitch Allegedly Not Following Amazon's RTO Policy—Here's Why

As confirmed in an internal email, Amazon's recent return to office (RTO) mandate will not affect Twitch employees. This exemption underscores Amazon's difficulties in implementing a uniform RTO policy across its diverse subsidiaries.

As revealed in an internal email obtained by Business Insider, Twitch, an Amazon subsidiary acquired in 2014, will not adhere to the company's newly announced five-day-a-week return-to-office policy, which is set to take effect in January.

Amazon's RTO Mandate Excludes The Streaming Platform

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy stated in an internal email that the company is exempt from Amazon's recent changes to the return-to-office policy. "We have a specific exception, and, as a practical matter that I mentioned in last week's All Hands, we do not have the space to host all employees in our office spaces," he wrote.

This highlights the complexities of implementing a uniform RTO policy across a sprawling business empire like Amazon, which employs over 1.5 million people worldwide and operates numerous subsidiaries. Twitch is the most significant exception to Amazon's recent RTO mandate.

Amazon's audiobook subsidiary, Audible, is scheduled to implement its RTO policy in April, while One Medical, another Amazon-owned company, has set October 2025 as the start date for its return-to-office mandate.

This uneven treatment of employees within the same corporation regarding office returns could foster resentment. Following Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's announcement of a mandatory return-to-office policy, some corporate employees expressed discontent by threatening to "soft quit."

Meanwhile, UK Amazon workers have actively protested the recently implemented RTO policy and a new study by digital PR agency Reboot Online reveals a significant surge in online searches for "legal right to work from home" over the past week.

Shortly after Amazon announced its new RTO policy on September 16, some employees expressed their frustration on an internal Slack channel, which one person described as "burning" due to the overwhelming number of comments and reactions.

Amazon has faced an exceptionally contentious RTO process. Last year, employees submitted an internal petition to CEO Andy Jassy and organized a walkout to protest a less stringent in-office mandate.

In response, the company compelled some employees to relocate closer to office hubs, and Jassy warned that those who failed to comply with the rule could face termination.

Twitch's potential need for more office space could be a positive development for the commercial real estate market. However, Clancy's email did not imply that the company would necessarily adopt Amazon's RTO policy, even if it expanded its office footprint.

Clancy's Opposition To Amazon's Leadership

Clancy has not always fully supported Amazon's leadership decisions. Last year, he expressed disappointment regarding the layoffs that affected 400 employees and indicated a preference for a different approach to sharing the news.

As revealed in an internal email obtained by Insider, Clancy expressed disappointment with how Amazon communicated its plans to lay off an additional 9,000 employees in the coming weeks.

On March 20, Jassy announced an additional round of job cuts, totalling 9,000 positions on top of the 18,000 announced in January. In response, Clancy sent an internal email to his employees confirming the layoff plan and expressing dissatisfaction with how the situation was communicated.

This email was distinct from the public message he shared on Twitch's blog the same day. In the email, Clancy stated that he had intended to inform each affected employee individually about the layoffs before making a company-wide announcement.

However, Jassy's note was circulated prematurely, specifically identifying Twitch as a primary target for job cuts. This email revealed that just over 400 Twitch employees were among the 9,000 individuals laid off in this round.

"We had planned to share this news with the company the same day we notified impacted people. However, I'm confirming this news with you all today because an internal memo was posted announcing additional role eliminations and named Twitch," Clancy wrote in the email.

"I'm disappointed to share the news this way before we're able to communicate directly to those who will be impacted, but it's important for you to hear directly from me confirming this difficult news," the top executive added.