06-08-2023
Beginning September 5, Meta wants its employees to return to their offices three days a week. The new policy excludes designated remote workers. A Meta spokesperson told CNN the company believes employees can make positive contributions from the office and at home, and the company is "committed to continuously refining [its] model to roster collaboration, relationships, and culture necessary for employees to do their best work."
On the last day in May, Amazon corporate workers walked out at its Seattle headquarters to indicate a "lack of trust" in the company's leadership. Amazon says just 300 employees participated, and organizers said the number was more than 1,000. One of the primary reasons employees wanted to walk out was Amazon's push to bring their workers into the office at least three days a week. Employees described the policy as a "rigid, one-size-fits-all return to office mandate." The other motivating reason behind the walkout was to encourage the company to make climate impact a main factor in its decision-making. One employee told CNN that employee morale was low. Amazon said it may take time for workers to adjust to the office and is working to make the transition smooth. The company also said, "We're always listening and will continue to do so, but we're happy with how the first month of having more people back in the office has been."
According to The New York Times, Amazon’s warehouse workers have generally expressed support for their corporate counterparts. Similarly, Starbucks in-store workers have offered their support to corporate employees protesting against that company's return-to-office policy. Corporate Starbucks employees also asked the company to support free and fair union elections across the stores. Some of the workers in warehouses and stores believe they have nothing to gain from office workers losing the ability to have flexibility.