Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is requiring some of its corporate employees to relocate to major hubs such as Seattle, Arlington, and Washington DC to be closer to their managers and teams, according to a Bloomberg report.
This relocation mandate affects thousands of employees across multiple teams and often requires moving across the country, sources with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg.
“For more than a year now, some teams have been working to bring their teammates closer together to help them be as effective as possible, but there isn’t a one-size-fits all approach and there hasn’t been a change in our approach as a company,” an Amazon spokesperson told the publication.
The company is communicating this directive primarily through one-on-one meetings and town halls rather than mass emails. Employees are reportedly being given 30 days to decide whether to relocate and then 60 days to either begin the relocation process or resign. Those who choose to resign instead of relocating will not receive severance packages
“We hear from the majority of our teammates that they love the energy from being located together, and whenever someone chooses to or is asked to relocate, we work with them to offer support based on their individual circumstances,” the spokesperson added.
Earlier this year, when Amazon mandated employees return to the office five days a week, there was no requirement to move to specific locations, and the company maintains satellite offices in other major cities like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Austin.
This move comes amid ongoing concerns among Amazon employees about job cuts and workforce reductions driven by artificial intelligence advancements, which CEO Andy Jassy has warned will shrink the company's workforce in the coming years.