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<ul><li><keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> announced an <keyword id="20007258" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RTO" source="keywords">RTO</keyword> mandate last month</li><li><keyword id="19916568" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employees" source="keywords">Employees</keyword> have to come to office five days a week</li><li>Amazon has defended the move</li></ul> When <keyword id="20231207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-from-home" source="keywords">work from home</keyword> became the norm during the Covid-19 pandemic, most people thought that this would be the new normal. Employees began realising that they could save up a lot of time as well as money by working from home and discussions about the importance of work-life balance surfaced. However, as soon as things started getting better, companies called employees back to offices. Amazon also made headlines last month for calling its employees back to offices five days a week. After the news went viral, many people began reacting to it. The tech giant also received a baclash for its decisions as people started saying on social media that this is not the solution. Now, according to a report in The Information, <keyword id="23472756" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Beth-Galetti" source="keywords">Beth Galetti</keyword>, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Tech at Amazon, has defended the mandate. Galetti said that younger employees are eager to benefit from in-person mentorship and have been asking to work from office. Speaking at The Information’s Women in Tech, Media, and Finance conference, Galetti explained that many junior staff members expressed a desire for face-to-face interaction with colleagues. She also said that the new policy reflects a return to Amazon’s previous work culture, where there was flexibility for personal matters but office attendance remained the norm. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113855017" title="Amazon's RTO mandate is a 'backdoor layoff' strategy, future of work expert says" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Amazon CEO <keyword id="19910506" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andy-Jassy" source="keywords">Andy Jassy</keyword> also supports the decision, highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation that come from being physically present in the office. In a memo to staff, Jassy acknowledged that pre-pandemic, the company allowed remote work when necessary, and this flexibility would remain. However, he stressed that regular in-office work is key to building stronger teams and a cohesive company culture. In response to the changing work environment, Amazon is also developing a generative AI-powered “culture coach” to help provide employees with real-time feedback, further supporting staff in their roles as the company adapts to new ways of working. On the other hand, Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford economist, suggests that this could be a way for Amazon to reduce its workforce without resorting to formal layoffs. He refers to this tactic as a “backdoor layoff” strategy, where some employees might quit due to the new policy, helping the company cut costs without the need to offer severance packages. Speaking to Business Insider, Bloom said that this approach may work to control costs but could harm departments like AI, where top talent is hard to attract and retain. Other tech companies like <keyword id="19902762" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Google" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Google">Google</keyword>, Microsoft, and OpenAI are continuing with hybrid work policies, which may give them a chance to hire skilled workers leaving Amazon due to its stricter office requirements.

Young employees need mentorship: Amazon on calling employees back to office five days a week

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> announced a <keyword id="20724175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="return-to-office" source="keywords">return-to-office</keyword> mandate requiring five days a week in the office from January.</li><li>One employee based in Germany told Business Insider that he plans to continue "<keyword id="20037519" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="coffee-badging" source="keywords">coffee badging</keyword>."</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with an Amazon worker in Germany who spoke anonymously to protect their privacy. Their identity and employment have been verified by Insider. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Amazon notified all employees on Monday about the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-return-to-office-mandate-5-days-week-2024-9">new return-to-office mandate</a> requiring us to come into the office five days a week from January. My entire team was very shocked and worried. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-workers-blast-strict-rto-mandate-five-days-week-2024-9">Some people want to leave the company</a>. This is a betrayal to many people, especially those who were hired as <keyword id="21086606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-workers" source="keywords">remote workers</keyword>, and it is eroding our trust. Before Amazon made the announcement this week, I already had a feeling that a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rto-faq-document-spells-out-new-rule-2024-9">stricter return-to-office mandate</a> was coming in 2025. That's because the leadership had made it very clear that this was the direction they were going to take through the last mandate, and in the last few months, things have become much stricter. In Germany, Amazon started enforcing the mandate that requires us to be in the office three days a week in June, but unlike in the US, we aren't <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-enforces-new-office-hours-rule-targets-coffee-badging-compliance-2024-7">required to come in for a certain number of hours</a> a day. People are still trying to adjust to the last return-to-office push. I live very close to the office, so I'm not personally so worried about having to do another two days in the office because I can just <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workers-still-coffee-badging-office-returning-home-linkedin-poll-2024-7">come in and swipe my badge</a>, stay for 15 minutes, and go back, so we still have some flexibility. I think the return to office policy is being used as a tool to carry out silent layoffs, as I've seen many bright engineers leave the company after the last mandate. People are definitely terrified about what this will mean for them. A few colleagues have contacted me and told me they are considering leaving the company, even going to lower-paying jobs. Having a flexible remote working policy did not have a big impact on productivity. If you create an atmosphere of growth and drive people, they will always deliver, regardless of where they work. I think this has been sufficient as long as people do their jobs to their best. I see the value in coming together occasionally and brainstorming, but outside that, it's unnecessary to always work from the office. The new mandate will be difficult for many people who moved away from the office during the pandemic, have childcare commitments, or experience social anxiety and are now forced to come into the office. Apart from the RTO announcement, I found out in the news that Amazon <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fewer-managers-leaked-document-2024-9" target="_blank">plans to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers</a> at least 15% by the end of next year's first quarter. It was a surprise because we already have a resource crunch. We have fewer people doing a lot more work, which has meant that I, and some other employees, have felt unhappy. Now with Amazon wanting to reduce the head count going forward, it will make things very difficult for employees. In many teams, there are between eight and 12 people managed by one person; ideally, it would be six people under one manager. This means some managers are already overburdened, which will only worsen. Cutting <keyword id="23230284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="middle-managers" source="keywords">middle managers</keyword> is going to impact everyone, because one manager overseeing so many people means that you don't have enough time to have conversations around career development, you can't work on innovation, or on stakeholder engagement. The consensus among other Amazon employees I've spoken to is that they plan to leave when the economy and job market improve. They are already frustrated and under a lot of stress, and the new RTO policy and job cut plans are only increasing the tension. I think other Big Tech companies will follow Amazon's suit and require employees to return to the office five days a week, too. A spokesperson for Amazon told Business Insider that they observed that being in the office together makes it easier for employees to learn, model, collaborate, and be better connected to one another. They added that the return-to-office guidance is an effort to strengthen its culture. Correction: September 18, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misdescribed Amazon's plan to cut managers. It plans to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% by the end of next year's first quarter, not cut 15% of middle managers. Are you a tech worker with insight to share? Contact the reporter, Jyoti Mann, via the encrypted messaging app Signal (jyotimann.11) or email (jmann@businessinsider.com) from a nonwork device.

I work at Amazon and I plan on 'coffee badging' instead of working from the office 5 days a week 

<ul><li><keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> recently ended work from home</li><li>A former AWS employee shared tricks people use to not return to office</li><li>The post has gone viral </li></ul> A couple of days back, tech giant Amazon was under the limelight for ending <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword> forever. The company, through a memo shared by <keyword id="21367545" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CEO-Andy-Jassy" source="keywords">CEO Andy Jassy</keyword>, announced that employees will be required to be in office for all five days. Jassy had also noted that there are various benefits of working from office - something that he has mentioned in previous memos as well - and that everything will return to the way it was before the Covid 19 pandemic. <h2>Employees are not ready to return to office</h2>Amazon's RTO (return to office) mandate had sparked a lot of discussion online, and various employees were seen criticising the decision. Now, a former <keyword id="19974102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Web-Services" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon Web Services" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon Web Services">Amazon Web Services</keyword> (AWS) engineer, <keyword id="23292501" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="John-McBride" source="keywords">John McBride</keyword>, has revealed some clever methods employees have used to dodge the company's strict return-to-office policy. The Colorado-based software engineer, who left AWS in June 2023, shared his experiences in a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), which has now garnered over a million views. McBride called these tactics "true ingenuity and innovation," but not in the way one might expect from a tech giant like Amazon. In the post, McBride explained that many employees were going to great lengths to avoid physically returning to the office after Amazon implemented a strict return-to-office mandate. He himself chose to resign when asked to relocate to a different city and work from the office. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113585941" title="Unfortunate incident, compassion needs to be promoted: Experts react to EY employee’s death" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> McBride listed three "wild" tricks AWS employees have been using to avoid returning to the office while still appearing compliant with the company's attendance policies. <h2>The three "wild" tricks </h2> First, he highlighted a classic approach that employees used for weeks: badging into the office during lunch breaks, grabbing free snacks or coffee, and quickly leaving. “This worked for a few weeks until they started tracking how long employees actually stayed in the office,” McBride said. The second trick involved employees renaming their home Wi-Fi network to match that of the office's network. The company's reporting software would then mark the employee as being “in the office” based on the network name. McBride admitted this was his favourite tactic but mentioned that it didn’t last long. “Eventually, the IT department made the system more sophisticated, checking more than just network names.” Lastly, McBride spoke about certain "under-the-table arrangements," where employees left their security badges with colleagues who would clock them in and out of the office. “This was risky, but I knew someone who did this for months,” he remarked, amazed by how long it lasted. <div type="image" title="amazon" msid="113620212" hostid="261"></div> Although many companies, including Amazon, have been keen to bring employees back into physical office spaces following the pandemic, the rise of remote work has sparked ongoing debates about its long-term viability. McBride’s post has sparked conversations about the necessity of office attendance for tech professionals, especially given the increasing availability of virtual collaboration tools. It’s clear that employees are not only resourceful but also determined to maintain the flexibility that remote work offers. Whether these tricks will continue or be shut down entirely as companies tighten their policies remains to be seen. For now, McBride’s account sheds light on how some are navigating the changing landscape of post-pandemic work. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/article/simply-put-founder-mode-the-secret-sauce-to-startup-success-or-fancy-term-for-hustle-and-micromanagement/articleshow/113568851.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Founder Mode — the secret sauce to startup success or fancy term for hustle and micromanagement?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-macbook-air-m1-to-be-available-under-50000-on-amazon-how-to-get-the-deal/articleshow/113617645.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Apple MacBook Air M1 to be available under ₹50,000 on Amazon, how to get the deal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/author_articles_all.cms?query=479266566&amp;author=divyanshi%20sharma=&amp;page=1" class="artishow_author"></a>

Rename home Wi-Fi, leave badge at office: Ex-Amazon employee reveals tricks used by employees to not work from office

Softbank-backed e-commerce firm <keyword id="19911893" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Meesho" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Meesho" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Meesho">Meesho</keyword> will start its annual <keyword id="23217664" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="festival-sale" source="keywords">festival sale</keyword>, Meesho <keyword id="23217663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mega-Blockbuster-Sale" source="keywords">Mega Blockbuster Sale</keyword>, from September 27 onwards with the highest number of sellers onboard among its competitors, the company said on Tuesday. The company has recorded about 42 per cent surge in sellers on a year-on-year basis to 20 lakh for the upcoming festival season. "Meesho's Annual 'Meesho Mega Blockbuster Sale' Starts on 27th September. With over 20 lakh sellers and 12 crore product listings across 30 categories, Meesho aims to make festive shopping more accessible, affordable, and convenient for shoppers across the country," the company said in a statement. Meesho claimed to have 14 lakh sellers onboard for Meesho Mega Blockbuster 2023. <keyword id="19910508" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon India" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Amazon India">Amazon India</keyword> has seen a 14 per cent growth in <keyword id="23217665" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="seller-base" source="keywords">seller base</keyword> but remains lower than that of Meesho for their upcoming annual festival sale "<keyword id="23217666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Great-Indian-Festival" source="keywords">The Great Indian Festival</keyword>". "Our current seller base exceeds 16 lakh sellers from all across the country," Amazon India, Director, Selling Partner Services, Amit Nanda, said. Interest of sellers for <keyword id="19896939" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Flipkart" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> has remained muted on a year-over-year basis. While announcing annual festival sale dates "The Big Billion Days" on Monday, <keyword id="19896940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Walmart" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Walmart" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Walmart">Walmart</keyword> group firm Flipkart had said it has over 50 crore users and more than 14 lakh sellers on the platform, including sellers of its other platform Shopsy as well. Flipkart had reported the same level of sellers onboard before the TBBD in 2023. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-great-indian-festival-sale-to-begin-on-september-27/articleshow/113445238.cms">Amazon Great Indian Festival sale to begin on September 27</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/triumph-speed-t4-launched-in-india-with-a-price-tag-of-2-17-lakh/slidelist/113429766.cms">Triumph Speed T4 launched in India with a price tag of ₹2.17 lakh</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-and-samsung-accused-of-colluding-with-amazon-and-flipkart/articleshow/113381204.cms">Xiaomi and Samsung accused of colluding with Amazon and Flipkart</a>

Meesho to begin annual festival sale from September  27, sees 42% surge in seller base

<ul><li><keyword id="23134822" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Great-Indian-Festival" source="keywords">Amazon Great Indian Festival</keyword> begins on September 27 for all</li><li>Prime users get early access to the sale</li><li>Apple's <keyword id="21240170" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="MacBook-Air-M1" source="keywords">MacBook Air M1</keyword> will be available at a special discount</li></ul> Amazon's Great Indian Festival begins this Friday and as we get closer to the shopping fiesta, people are eager to know about the deals that will be available. For Prime members, the sale begins a day early, on September 26. Several gadgets including smartphones, laptops, TWS earbuds etc will be available at attractive prices during the deal. If you are thinking of buying a laptop during the <keyword id="20586627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-sale" source="keywords">Amazon sale</keyword>, here's some good news. The website recently teased a deal on the MacBook Air M1. <h2>MacBook Air 1 to get discounted during Amazon Great Indian Festival</h2>The MacBook Air M1 will be available at a huge discount during the Amazon sale. The laptop, which originally launched in India at a price of ₹92,990, is set to become much more affordable during the upcoming festive sales. Currently listed on Amazon at ₹62,990, the laptop will see a significant price drop to ₹55,990 during the sale period. Moreover, shoppers using select bank cards will benefit from an instant discount of ₹3,000, bringing the price further down. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113214171" title="iPhone 16 Pro with A18 Pro chip launched: Should you upgrade if you own an iPhone 15 Pro?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> For those who are Amazon Prime members, there's an additional perk. Prime members who act quickly during the first few hours of the sale can enjoy an extra ₹3,000 off as part of an early bird offer. This means the price of the MacBook Air M1 could drop as low as ₹49,990 for some customers, making it one of the most enticing offers in the market for a high-end <keyword id="23291511" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple-laptop" source="keywords">Apple laptop</keyword>. <h2>Reasons to buy the MacBook Air M1 in 2024</h2>The MacBook Air M1 may not be Apple's latest model, but it remains a popular choice for both students and professionals due to its solid performance and long-lasting support from Apple. Powered by Apple's M1 chipset, the laptop features an 8-core CPU, with four performance cores and four efficiency cores. This combination allows the device to handle daily tasks with ease, while using far less power than traditional laptops, making it energy-efficient as well. The MacBook Air M1 has a 13.3-inch Retina display, boasting a 2560x1600 resolution. This crisp display makes it ideal for watching videos, editing photos, or simply browsing the web. Despite being launched a few years ago, it still packs enough power to meet the demands of everyday tasks, whether that’s work, study, or entertainment. One of the standout features of this laptop is its battery life. Apple claims that the MacBook Air M1 can last up to 18 hours on a single charge, which is more than enough for a full day of use without needing to reach for the charger. This makes it an excellent choice for people on the go, as it offers portability alongside top-tier performance. In terms of its build, the MacBook Air M1 has a sleek, minimalistic design, in line with Apple’s aesthetic standards. It features an aluminium finish that gives it a premium look and feel, while remaining lightweight at just under 1.3kg. This makes it easy to carry, whether you’re heading to the office, travelling, or attending classes. Apple is known for offering long-term support for its devices, and the MacBook Air M1 is no exception. This means that buyers can expect software updates and security patches for several years, extending the usability and lifespan of the laptop. For anyone considering investing in a laptop, this is an important factor, as it ensures that the device will not become obsolete anytime soon. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/article/from-firewire-in-macs-to-type-c-in-iphones-the-apple-connect/articleshow/112734982.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">From FireWire in Macs to Type-C in iPhones - the Apple Connect</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/article/elon-musk-to-tim-cook-a-morning-in-the-lives-of-big-tech-ceos/articleshow/113599807.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Elon Musk to Tim Cook: A morning in the lives of big tech CEOs</a>

Apple MacBook Air M1 to be available under ₹50,000 on Amazon, how to get the deal

The Covid-19 pandemic drastically changed the way we work, with <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword> quickly becoming the new normal. Employees across the globe adapted to working from home, enjoying newfound flexibility and a better <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">work-life balance</keyword>. And for a long time, we all thought that this was the new world and going to the office every day would be a thing of the past. However, as pandemic restrictions eased, many companies began rolling back these remote policies, pushing employees to return to the office. Tech giant <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> recently ended remote work for its employees and told them to come to office five days a week, just like how it used to be before the pandemic. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, in a blog post, said that working from offices has its benefits and therefore all employees will have to start coming to work the entire week. He added that even though they will permit work from home in case of emergencies (taking care of your sick kid, running emergency errands etc), remote work will no longer be the norm. <h2>Companies are calling employees back to offices</h2>Amazon isn’t the only company that has implemented the <keyword id="20007258" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rto" source="keywords">RTO</keyword> (<keyword id="20408795" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="return-to-office" source="keywords">return to office</keyword>) mandate. Companies like <keyword id="19945574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wipro" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Wipro" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Wipro">Wipro</keyword>, TCS, X (earlier called Twitter) and Infosys also require employees to be there in office for at least three days a week. While X boss <keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> had once asked those seeking work from home to “get off of their moral high horse,” Infosys CEO N. R. Narayana Murthy had made headlines for saying that workers in India should work 70 hours per week. In wake of Amazon’s recent RTO mandate, many young professionals are reacting strongly on the internet. While some feel that the RTO mandate will hamper their productivity, others feel that it is simply unnecessary. And then there are also some people who think that this is a good decision. Let us take a look at how people are reacting on being called back to offices. <h2>How are people reacting?</h2>Social media sites like Reddit, X, and LinkedIn are full of reactions on the RTO mandate. Many employees feel that this will increase their cost and time spent on commute. Amazon’s recent decision to bring its employees back to offices has not sat well with many, especially those accustomed to the <keyword id="20445439" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hybrid-work-model" source="keywords">hybrid work model</keyword>. On LinkedIn, Samrat Bhardwaj, who has previously interned with Amazon India, questioned the rationale behind the shift, asking whether the company truly considered employee well-being or was more focused on its own benefits. He also voiced concerns over the increased cost in case employees think of moving closer to tech hubs. He also added that if people start living at a distance from tech parks, rent will be lower, but you'll be wasting a lot of time to and fro from the office every day. On the other hand, Erin Mantz, a former Meta and Amazon employee, pointed out the stark difference between previous work norms and the flexibility of today's workforce in a LinkedIn post. “Gen Xers, for decades, used to have to go in every day... no working from home, no midday walks or being home for the dishwasher repairman,” she said, reflecting on how work-life balance has evolved. She concluded that the shift back to in-office work might not align with modern expectations, suggesting that today’s workforce has experienced a better way of working. <h2>“Working in the parking lot isn’t a bad idea”</h2>People aren’t just concerned about the increased cost and wastage of time in commute. Some also pointed out the irony of commuting to the office only to continue working in their cars due to a lack of proper space and resources. One Reddit user said, “Genuinely had no idea how bad RTO would be until it hit. I'm as unproductive as ever and half my work is done in the parking lot at this point for these exact reasons. Going back to the office isn't the end of the world, but when there's zero space or even disability accommodation for the employees? Unacceptable, especially considering the ones who usually enforce the arrangements all have their own private offices with the best gear their department offers.” Another user, Oracle-2050, quipped that working from their car was a makeshift solution, noting, "At least I can attend Teams meetings and make phone calls." The absurdity of the situation was highlighted by yet another commenter who sarcastically remarked, “Only in clown world would a worker drive to the office in order to do work in their car.” Another user pointed out that the decision-makers pushing these mandates “all have their own private offices with the best gear their department offers,” leaving regular employees to struggle in far less conducive work environments. <h2>The “Fake work” problem </h2> Annie Dean, who earlier used to work as Director of Remote Work at Facebook, took a critical stance on LinkedIn, highlighting that return-to-office mandates don’t address the core problem which is “Fake work.” This term, popularised by Airbnb’s Brian Chesky, refers to tasks that feel like work but don’t actually create value for the business. Dean explained in her post that employees are drowning in endless meetings and messages, which detract from productivity. She argued that instead of mandating office attendance, companies like Amazon should focus on “pioneering new, more efficient modes of work.” This argument has resonated with many on X as well, where employees have expressed frustration over the return-to-office mandates being viewed as a quick fix. One Twitter/X user remarked that "commuting to do the same virtual meetings in person isn’t solving anything," while others echoed that the core problem lies in work structures, not location. Here are some other reactions on X: <div type="image" title="negative reactions" msid="113528739" hostid="261" sizebytes="64721"></div> <h2>A quiet layoff strategy? </h2> Yet another take on the RTO mandate comes from Jennifer DeLorenzo, a former senior recruiter at Pinterest. She suggested that the move feels like a “quiet layoff strategy.” According to her, by mandating full-time office attendance, companies may be hoping for a wave of resignations without having to deal with the negative press of formal layoffs. “This tactic allows them to reduce headcount while avoiding the negative optics of layoffs,” DeLorenzo wrote on LinkedIn, adding that it may backfire as hiring becomes challenging again when the economy shifts. Many others seemed to agree with her view. On Reddit too, there are many people talking about how companies might be carrying out soft layoffs by implementing an RTO mandate. Her comments tapped into a broader conversation on how companies may be using return-to-office mandates to indirectly reduce their workforce. Other social media users pointed out similar trends across industries, where companies tighten office attendance policies to nudge employees toward leaving voluntarily. <h2>Some mixed reactions too </h2> While the return-to-office mandates are frustrating for many, not all reactions are negative. Some employees, particularly newer hires, see value in the traditional office setting. Bhardwaj, for example, also noted that going to the office is beneficial for freshers who want to learn. “I do believe that going to the office makes you learn a lot as freshers,” he wrote in his post, suggesting that for those early in their careers, the in-person experience might be crucial for growth and networking. Some users on X too seemed to be in support of this mandate. Here’s a look: <div type="image" title="mixed-reactions" msid="113528718" hostid="261" sizebytes="77770"></div> This duality reflects the ongoing debate around the future of work. On one hand, companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta are focusing on building stronger in-office teams, believing that physical presence fosters better collaboration, innovation, and mentoring. On the other hand, employees, especially those who experienced the benefits of remote work during the pandemic, are pushing back against these mandates, valuing the flexibility and improved work-life balance that working from home provides. As companies continue to adjust their RTO policies, the tension between employee expectations and corporate strategies is likely to persist. However, one thing is clear — the future of work is still being negotiated, and both sides are making their voices heard across the internet.

'I'm unproductive, this is not the real solution': Internet reacts as Amazon, Wipro and others call employees back to office

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I have rheumatoid arthritis, which means my immune system attacks my joints. </li><li>I treat it by depressing my immune system, which leaves me vulnerable to things like a common cold. </li></ul>I was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-with-rheumatoid-arthritis-2018-11">diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis</a> 10 years ago. So, while I was building my career, I was also learning how to control my condition.My condition means my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-rejects-lilly-and-incytes-baricitinib-2017-4">immune system attacks my joints</a>, which results in debilitating pain throughout my body if left untreated. I never knew how many joints existed in the human body until they would all stiffen at once overnight.To treat it, I have to suppress <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/does-alcohol-weaken-the-immune-system">my immune system</a> with medication, which I need just to physically get out of bed in the morning. I've also learned in this decade of dealing with my condition that I need to advocate for myself and my needs — and that includes at work, too.<h2 id="1e19f0c1-f6a0-4e82-a625-505ae454c21f">I'm more vulnerable to catching upper respiratory illnesses</h2>Because my immune system is suppressed, it means I'm more vulnerable to catching any bug that's going around. Your 24-hour flu is my weeklong flu.It's been almost six years since my last <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sick-dont-have-covid-flu-rsv-what-it-is-2022-12">upper respiratory infection</a>, but I still can't breathe as well as I used to. The sound of coughing makes me wince. Four upper respiratory infections in four years taught me to develop crippling anxiety as winter approaches, knowing that a deep, dry cough would arrive in January. What follows is two weeks of utter misery.My last infection in 2019 left me with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/chronic-cough">a lingering cough</a>, only remedied by an inhaler months later. A month after that, I would contract one of the worst cases of strep throat I've ever had. Between the two, I was rendered ill for almost half the year.This was my life before <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-from-home-wall-street-return-to-office-lazard-ceo-2024-9">work-from-home policies</a> took hold.In 10 years of managing this disability, I've learned to speak louder. This translated well as I grew in my career. I became more assertive and spoke my mind when I thought we could do better. I also learned that my health is more important than my work, and I found ways to let go of the little things.<h2 id="07ed5d61-656c-4721-9ef7-bd04e6b5664b">I asked to work from home when needed</h2>Regardless of the work I'm tasked with, my own high standards dictate the final product. Once an A-student, always an A-student. Exceeding expectations regularly allowed me to build trust with my supervisors, which gave me the credibility to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-hybrid-work-policy-amazon-rto-employees-workplace-remote-2024-10">ask for accommodations</a> when needed. This included avoiding the office when my risk of infection was higher and making up work so that I didn't use all of my PTO being sick.I valued my relationship with my supervisor and felt lucky to have a boss I could talk to about my health issues. When I was laid off one year ago, I found myself in a sea of competition. The majority of job listings were hybrid or 100% in-office, and suddenly, I lacked the rapport that had protected me for so many years.I was immediately faced with a question I've always struggled with: When is the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ablesplaining-nondisabled-partners-think-know-whats-best-2023-5">right moment to share that I'm disabled</a>? Several times in my life, I've waited for someone to notice — blending in until I can't. But in a competitive job search, the answer wasn't clear.Not only was I afraid of losing out to competition because of a chronic illness, but I knew that my body couldn't handle an annual upper respiratory infection in perpetuity. I needed an employer who would see me as a whole human being, and deciphering that in an interview process felt like an impossible task with very high stakes.When I was presented with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-i-left-six-figure-tech-job-become-full-time-freelancer">freelance opportunities</a>, I took the leap. One year after my layoff, I am able to take care of myself first. Every day, I can wake up, listen to my body, and go from there on what the rest of the day looks like — something I wish everyone could do.I've learned never to say never. So, there is certainly a chance that I could wind up back in a full-time role again, and I could wind up in an office again. I can legally demand accommodations anywhere I work. But if you're asking whether I want to fight those battles, the answer is unequivocally no. What companies either fail to realize or don't care to correct is that strict in-office policies keep many talented professionals out, including disabled people. And this particular talent is not looking to come back anytime soon.

My medical condition makes it risky for me to work in an office. For now, I'm freelancing from home. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon's sales of cheap items are surging, driven by faster delivery speeds, executive says.</li><li>Amazon's essential product sales are growing 50% faster than other items.</li></ul>The sales of cheaper items are surging on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-explains-why-he-wants-fewer-managers-hate-bureaucracy-2024-11">Amazon</a>.During a recent internal all-hands meeting, Amazon's retail CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/profile-of-amazons-new-retail-ceo-doug-herrington-2022-7">Doug Herrington</a> said that the everyday essentials business, which includes health, beauty, and grocery products, is "growing 50% faster than the rest of the store," according to a recording of the event obtained by Business Insider.The growth is primarily driven by faster delivery speeds because people tend to spend more and shop more frequently when orders arrive quickly, Herrington said. Over 50% of those everyday essentials are now delivered on the same or next day, he added."It has really supercharged our grocery and everyday essential business," Herrington said, referring to faster shipping speeds. "And these are especially the low-priced everyday essentials, the things that most households purchase every week."Amazon has been investing heavily to make its warehouse and logistics network more regional. The goal has been to not only speed up deliveries, but also make it less expensive for the company to offer faster delivery.<h2 id="c0dfe482-5c31-44d1-a35d-fdfab5fe3a43">No longer "CRaP"</h2>Lower costs help Amazon offer cheaper products, which often come with thinner profit margins. This is a notable shift from the company's previous strategy of curbing sales of such products. Internally, Amazon used to refer to these products as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-wants-to-stop-selling-unprofitable-items-report-2018-12">"CRaP," or "can't realize a profit,"</a> because they were relatively expensive to ship and less profitable.Amazon's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-andy-jassy-wooed-wall-street-overhauled-bloated-tech-giant-2024-7">record profits</a> in recent years, alongside <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-layoffs-10000-employees-grand-challenge-team-dramatic-changes-2022-11">drastic cost cuts</a> and major layoffs, are also contributing to the new approach. The change can potentially help Amazon better compete against Chinese e-commerce upstarts Temu and Shein, which are rapidly growing on the back of cheap items. Shein, for example, is expanding to sell more daily essentials, like toothpaste, skincare, and toys, Reuters reported.Amazon's spokesperson declined to comment.<h2 id="27100129-02ac-43d6-9461-8899978fdf94">'Perfect placement'</h2>During the recent all-hands meeting, Herrington said Amazon deliveries have become faster and cheaper after the company redesigned its network of warehouses to serve smaller regions. Now, Amazon has more warehouses assigned to customers close by, which allows for faster order fulfillment.As a result, Amazon has been able to reduce the "cost to serve" each order for two years in a row, while achieving the fastest delivery speeds for Prime shipments this year, Herrington added."We call that effort perfect placement," Herrington said.In October, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the company has been "maniacal" about lowering the cost to serve in recent years. It's a real competitive advantage because now Amazon can afford to sell lower-priced items economically, he said."There's an expression that we've used a lot of times over the years that it's easy to lower prices, but it's much harder to be able to afford to lower prices," Jassy said during a call with analysts.<h2 id="c402255a-a3e2-42e8-8f7f-81912d344b85">'Real positive'</h2>During last month's analyst call, Jassy added that the growth of cheaper items is a "real positive" because it is predicated on faster delivery speeds. He said that this usually leads to growth in customer loyalty, order frequency, and purchase volume."We see the ability to unlock whole new elements of the consumer spend," Jassy said.Brian Olsavsky, Amazon's CFO, added that strong growth in everyday essentials is a positive sign of Amazon becoming a part of consumers' daily shopping habits.Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney wrote in a recent note that the shift is important for Amazon, especially since its most loyal Prime membership base is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-growth-takes-off-again-record-75-americans-use-2024-4">growing at a slower pace</a>."While the growth in those categories represents a negative mix shift in terms of margins, it increases shopper loyalty, shopping frequency and increases the basket size — important if the total Prime HH membership base in the US is maturing," Mahaney wrote.Amazon is doubling down on these efforts. Herrington said in the recent all-hands meeting that Amazon is investing in new warehouse robotics technology that can further improve packaging speed. It's also expanding its rural area network and drone delivery service, he said."The most important part is that customers are loving our faster speeds and we know they're loving it because they're shopping more," Herrington said.Do you work at Amazon? Got a tip?Contact the reporter, Eugene Kim, via the encrypted-messaging apps Signal or Telegram (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link">+1-650-942-3061</a><a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow">) or email (</a><a target="_blank" href="mailto:ekim@businessinsider.com">ekim@businessinsider.com</a><a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="mailto:ekim@businessinsider.com">). Reach out using a non</a>work device. Check out Business Insider's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-guide-to-securely-sharing-whistleblower-information-about-powerful-institutions-2021-10">source guide for other t</a>ips on sharing information securely.

In leaked internal meeting, Amazon retail chief says sales of cheaper items are surging

<ul><li>An X user says she has a friend in <keyword id="19895622" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Microsoft" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Microsoft" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> who works 15-20 hours per week</li><li>The employee plays <keyword id="20303301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="League-of-Legends" source="keywords">League of Legends</keyword> for most of the time</li><li>The user's post has over 2 million views</li></ul> Every person has a unique working style. While one employee could take hours in finishing a job, other could complete the same task in much lesser time. And in the recent times, ever since debates about <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">work-life balance</keyword> have taken centre stage, many people are talking about how being productive has nothing to do with the number of hours an employee puts in to complete a job. An X user, in a recent post, shared that she has a friend working at Microsoft who works for only 15-20 hours per week and plays League (of Legends) for the rest of the time. The post has now gone viral and people are dropping a mix of hilarious and serious comments. While one user asked if there are any openings, another commented that as long as the work is getting done, this shouldn’t be a problem. <h2>X user’s viral post </h2> In the post, the user wrote, “talking to my friend who works at microsoft &amp; apparently he works 15-20 hr weeks &amp; plays league the rest of the time &amp; gets paid $300k for it” The post, at the time of writing this story, has 2 million views. As mentioned already, people are reacting to the news and are wondering if they too, can land such a job. “What are the reqs for this job and any open positions?,” a user wrote while another commented, “Dream job lol I'd love 20 hours a week over 40 so much.” Other users, meanwhile, mentioned that there’s nothing wrong with this if the person can complete the task assigned to them. “If they can do the same work in 20 hours that someone else doing the same job would need 40 to achieve — then I don't see the issue,” a user said. Another user wrote, “Most CEOs would love a person who got results and hit the mark - no matter how many or few hours they work.” Another user was all praises for League of Legends players and said, “I’ve met so many people like that... in league... they always seem very smart though, and are very high rank... so maybe they're 10x engineering gods who don't need to work a lot like us peasants” <h2><keyword id="22902800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-employee" source="keywords">Amazon employee</keyword> who gets paid to do nothing </h2> This isn’t the first time that a techie has been in the limelight for getting paid more to do less. Last month, an <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> worker was making headlines for saying that he gets paid Rs 3 crore a year for practically doing nothing. The employee, who has been with Amazon for a year and a half, shared his story on Blind, an anonymous platform. They revealed that after being laid off from <keyword id="19902762" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google" source="keywords">Google</keyword>, they joined Amazon with a deliberate intention to do as little work as possible while still drawing a significant paycheque. The strategy, the employee claims, involved performing the bare minimum necessary to avoid raising any red flags with his managers. "I joined Amazon 1.5 years ago after being laid off from Google," the employee wrote and added, ”My goal was simple: do nothing, collect a salary, and eventually get placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).”

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