Amazon Workers Write A Survival Guide As Many Struggle With RTO: Take A Shower And Wear Shoes

Amazon's return-to-office transition has been so turbulent that employees have put together a survival guide, blending practical tips with humour, reminding colleagues to shower, flush toilets, and wear shoes.

Speaking to Business Insider, employees shared their frustrations over the policy introduced earlier this year, which has resulted in packed parking lots, shortages of desks and meeting rooms, and even incidents of desk theft. While some voiced concerns, others supported the shift, highlighting the benefits of enhanced collaboration through in-person interactions.

Amazon RTO Mandate: A Mixed Bag of Experiences

However, others reported spending significant time in video and other virtual meetings. Business Insider interviewed seven current Amazon employees regarding the new RTO mandate. The employees also shared screenshots of group Slack messages and other private communications.

'Please go back to RTO3,' one Amazon employee lamented on Slack, referring to Amazon's previous policy that allowed staff to work from home two days a week. 'Or allow employees the option to WFH if they have the proper set up and they are high performers.' At least 22 Amazon colleagues reacted to the Slack post with supportive emojis.

RTO Survival Guide: Insider Tips From Amazon Workers

On Blind, an anonymous platform for corporate employees, Amazon workers shared an 'essential survival guide' with tips for colleagues returning to the office. The 'Operation: Don't Be The Office Menace' guide provided a list of dos and don'ts for working alongside colleagues.

'Deploy personal hygiene protocols BEFORE leaving your launch pad (home). Yes, that means actually using the shower you've been avoiding since WFH began,' one piece of advice in the Amazon office 'survival guide' humorously suggested.

Another piece of advice compared the bathroom stall to a 'serverless' environment, urging colleagues to remember to flush the toilet, emphasising that 'it's called 'garbage collection' for a reason. The 'survival guide' also included recommendations for suitable office attire, specifically footwear.

'Footwear is not optional. This isn't a beach sprint retrospective — keep those toes contained in their proper containers (shoes),' someone wrote.

Desk And Meeting Room Deficiencies At Amazon

The return of most Amazon corporate employees to the office this month has highlighted logistical challenges, including a shortage of desks and meeting rooms. Two employees reported that the return to office has led to a shortage of desks, forcing some workers to find space in cafeterias or hallways.

Others complained about the shortage of chairs in both offices and meeting rooms. One employee reported a shortage of meeting rooms, noting that some colleagues, accustomed to the privacy of working from home, are now seeking out meeting rooms and phone booths for private conversations.

This has led to a surge in demand for these spaces, leaving some managers conducting private chats in open areas, inadvertently making them audible to the entire office.

Parking And Shuttle Issues

Slack messages viewed by Business Insider reveal that some Amazon employees have encountered parking challenges since the return-to-office mandate. Some have been turned away from full company lots, and others resort to street parking or return home.

While one Amazon employee in Nashville reported a months-long wait for a company parking pass, another employee praised the company's provision of free commuter passes, describing the benefit as 'incredibly generous.'

An Amazon employee reported that some colleagues are joining morning work meetings while still commuting, citing increased traffic congestion due to the flood of employees returning to the office.

According to one of the Slack messages, Amazon employees have been unable to secure spots on company shuttle buses due to high demand, resulting in overcrowding.

Amazon's RTO Faces Global Hurdles

With a global workforce spanning over 100 locations, Amazon's RTO initiative is a complex undertaking requiring more than a few weeks to implement fully. Amazon has delayed the full return-to-office mandate at numerous locations, with some postponements extending as late as May due to office capacity constraints.

Furthermore, Amazon subsidiaries, including One Medical and Twitch, have either delayed or received exemptions from the five-day in-office requirement. 'Our upper 'leadership' has botched this so hard, along with so many other things. Makes one wonder what other poor decisions will impact the company in the coming year,' an Amazon worker wrote on the company's Slack.

According to an Amazon spokesperson, the company was ready to welcome most of its workforce back to the office. 'As of early January, the overwhelming majority of our employees have dedicated workspaces and have returned to the office full time,' the spokesperson said.

'Of the hundreds of offices we have all around the world, there are only a relatively small number that are not quite ready to welcome everyone back a full five days a week,' the spokesperson added.

Office Thefts

In the early days of the return-to-office transition, some Amazon employees experienced challenges readjusting to proper workplace etiquette. Slack messages revealed that several employees at Amazon's Toronto office reported repeatedly losing personal belongings from their desks.

One employee reported the disappearance of their keyboard and mouse from their assigned desk. Another employee advised colleagues to secure their personal belongings. 'Despite being adults that are well-paid, it's shameful that we can't trust each other with leaving personal belongings unattended,' one Amazon worker wrote on Slack.

Amazon Employees Push Back Against In-Office Mandate

The RTO mandate has been a contentious issue for Amazon, with tens of thousands of employees signing internal petitions in opposition and internal Slack channels filled with employee questions and concerns. CEO Andy Jassy has addressed these concerns repeatedly during company-wide meetings.

Some employees continue to question the effectiveness of the RTO mandate. They argue that in-office work has had little impact on their work routines and has not significantly improved productivity. These employees told BI that a significant portion of their work, even while in the office, still involves video calls with remote customers.

RTO Supporters

While many Amazon employees have expressed concerns about the return-to-office mandate, others have embraced the change. BI requested examples of employees who are positive about the full return to the office, and the company's press office provided statements from two such employees.

According to Rena Palumbo, an AWS employee, returning to the office has facilitated stronger connections with colleagues, increasing engagement and enthusiasm for her work.

Rena Palumbo, an AWS employee, finds that the return to the office has fostered stronger connections with colleagues, boosting her engagement and enthusiasm for her work. 'You just can't recreate these connections online,' she said.