Seattle, November 13: Amazon Work From Office Policy was announced in September 2024, making it compulsory for workers to come to the office five days a week. The mandate drew a lot of criticism from the employees who were not "strongly dissatisfied" with the decision and were unwilling to leave the WFH model and adopt the new one as it posed many difficulties for them. The e-commerce giant has reportedly made it harder for disabled employees to get permission to work from home. 

During an all-hands meeting, company CEO Andy Jassy said that Amazon's five-day-office mandate was not a part of "backdoor layoffs", but the company wanted to strengthen its culture by bringing people back to the workplace. According to a report by Bloomberg, Amazon made it difficult for employees with disabilities to get permission to work from home. The e-commerce giant said it was implementing a "more rigorous vetting process". Amazon 5 Days a Week Return to Office Mandate Not Part of ‘Backdoor Layoffs’ but To Strengthen Culture, Says CEO Andy Jassy During All-Hands Meeting.

Amazon informed us that the process will look into both the new application for WFH and those demanding an extension of the existing arrangements. Those affected by the decision of "Amazon's Work From Office" mandate would have to submit a "multilevel leader review," and they could be required to return to the office for a month-long trial. The company would do this to determine if the accommodations meet their needs. 

Besides, the report said that  Amazon's revised disability policy was not reported earlier and is on a workforce rollout. It would affect the "already alienated five-day-return-to-office mandate, set to start from January 2025. On the other hand,  Amazon CEO Andy Jassy maintained that the WFO model would help the company's culture, which, according to him, became bureaucratic due to the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Sells USD 1.25 Billion Worth Company Shares.

The report highlighted that the Americans with Disabilities Act allowed people to make "reasonable accommodations" like service animals, closed-captioned meetings, reserved parking spaces, etc. The workers who are unhappy with the progression and are denied permission to work remotely can file discrimination complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 13, 2024 07:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).