As part of Amazon's aggressive effort to bring employees back to the office, the company went a step further and insisted that some staff members relocate to a central hub to work alongside their team. Those who were unwilling or unable to comply are forced to seek employment elsewhere. However, some chose to resign, instead of relocating. 

According to a report by CNBC, an employee based in Texas, initially hired for a remote position, recounted that in March, their managers had guaranteed the team that there would be no changes despite the return-to-office (RTO) mandate that had been issued the previous month. 

However, in July, the management informed the team that they were required to decide whether to work from Seattle, New York, Austin, Texas, or Arlington, Virginia. 

As per the outlined directives, remote employees were required to finalise their transition to a primary hub by the first half of 2024, reported CNBC. The employee, who resided far from any of the specified cities, made the decision to depart from Amazon after obtaining a different position. 

This choice was influenced partly by concerns regarding future job stability and the prospect of elevated living expenses related to the relocation, without a definite assurance of a salary increase.

The relocation policy was confirmed by Amazon spokesperson Rob Munoz, who noted that it impacts a minor portion of the company's workforce. The e-commerce giant explained that hub locations differ based on individual teams, with each team having the autonomy to designate their hub locations. Additionally, the company does extend relocation benefits to employees who are required to relocate.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, so we decided that the best thing to do was to communicate directly with teams and individuals who are affected to ensure they’re getting accurate information that’s relevant to them. If an individual feels like they don’t have the information they need, we encourage them to talk with their HR business partner or their manager,” Munoz said in a statement. 

The need for relocation is causing increased tensions between Amazon and a subset of its approximately 350,000 corporate staff members due to the Return-to-Office (RTO) initiatives. This comes in the wake of numerous employees having relocated from their physical office locations during the Covid pandemic.

In May, Amazon introduced a mandate stipulating that employees must be present in physical office spaces for a minimum of three days per week. This marked a departure from the previous approach where individual managers had the discretion to determine the frequency of office attendance for their team members. 

Subsequent to the issuance of the mandate, several employees staged a protest at Amazon's Seattle headquarters as a form of dissent. Furthermore, staff members voiced criticism regarding Amazon's approach to the decision involving the termination of 27,000 individuals as part of job reductions initiated in the prior year.

The company is also implementing cost-cutting measures in other areas. Amazon recently announced its intention to discontinue a perk starting next year, which currently grants employees a complimentary beverage at in-office coffee shops. Additionally, the company has decreased the reimbursement amount for parking and ceased the provision of free Uber rides for commuting to and from work, as reported by employees.

Amazon has clarified that it continues to offer reimbursement for public transportation expenses to its employees within major metropolitan regions. Furthermore, the company maintains the provision of free commuter shuttles and campus shuttles for its workforce.