Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently informed employees that starting in 2025, they would be required to return to the office five days a week. This announcement has sparked significant backlash from employees. Concurrently, Amazon is cutting a small number of roles in its Communications and Sustainability departments. These changes stem from a restructuring initiative that predated the Trump administration, which reversed several sustainability initiatives at the federal level.
The decision to eliminate roles comes less than two weeks after President Donald Trump took office, during which Amazon founder Jeff Bezos donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. Notably, Bezos was seated close behind Trump alongside tech giants such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Sergey Brin at the inauguration. Since then, Amazon has canceled some diversity and inclusion initiatives, aligning with targets set by the new administration.
Amanda Silberling, a senior writer at TechCrunch and co-host of the podcast Wow If True, covers these developments in her reporting on technology and culture. Silberling offers a detailed analysis of the intersection between corporate strategies and political shifts. Her observations reflect the growing tensions within Amazon as its workforce grapples with these recent policy changes.
While Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser did not disclose the exact number of layoffs to TechCrunch, SVP Drew Herdener provided some clarity. He mentioned that the layoffs are connected to Amazon's divisive return-to-office policy. Herdener assured that despite these reductions, the overall headcount of his department would remain stable once some positions are refilled at lower levels.
"We identified some roles that were too narrowly scoped or that introduced unnecessary layers, where we couldn’t solve the challenge by flattening the structure or shifting workloads," – SVP Drew Herdener.
The restructuring effort, initiated before Trump's election, reflects Amazon's broader strategy to reshape its workforce in response to evolving business needs. However, the timing of these cuts, closely following Trump's inauguration and changes in federal sustainability policies, has raised questions about Amazon's commitment to its previously stated sustainability goals.
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