There is no doubt that the global pandemic has forever altered how companies do business. Over the course of a few days, seemingly everything shifted from in-person meetings to once office-bound employees working from home. Many businesses realized that employees could actually be more productive, and even though the pandemic (for all intents and purposes) is over, they continue with remote working allowances. However, some companies, such as Amazon, are recalling their staff, sparking mass walkouts in protest.
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Protesting Protocol
Globally, many Amazon workers completed their daily tasks from home over the last two years. That started to change in February this year, when CEO Andy Jassy sent out a note to employees about plans to “go back to being in the office together the majority of the time” from May 1, 2023.
A month after being forced to return to the office, almost 2,000 workers walked out in protest yesterday. Organized by the group called Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, it claims that employees weren’t consulted on the plans for returning to the office, which also negatively impacts the environment.
“Today looks like it might be the start of a new chapter in Amazon’s history, when tech workers coming out of the pandemic stood up and said, “We still want a say in this company and the direction of this company,” Eliza Pan, founder of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice told Associated Press. Almost 20,000 workers have signed a petition asking the tech giant to reconsider the return-to-office mandate.
Some of the group’s complaints stem from massive Amazon layoffs, with some estimates pegging it at 27,000 since November. Amazon employees from Ireland, South Africa, China, Germany, Poland, Brazil, Canada, and Spain joined the protest in solidarity with their American counterparts.
Good to know: You might be able to catch Amazon Originals on other streaming platforms soon.
Image credit: Unsplash
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