Amazon's Tech Chief Says: Adapt or Leave

Matt Garman, the boss at Amazon Web Services, has a clear message for workers who aren't excited about Amazon's new office policy: find a new job. In a recent meeting, Garman told employees that if they're not comfortable with the five-day workweek in the office, they should look elsewhere. He believes that Amazon's culture thrives on teamwork and that innovation suffers when people work remotely. Other big companies like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Tesla have already made similar moves, ditching remote work policies. Amazon announced this change last month, starting January 2. CEO Andy Jassy thinks this will help Amazon stay innovative and connected to its customers. But many workers aren't happy. They've called the move "unfortunate" and worried about their work-life balance. Amazon has been tracking office attendance and even sent messages to employees who weren't showing up enough. Garman, however, insists that most people are excited about the change. He claims that on some days during the hybrid work era, the team didn't get much done because members were working remotely. It's not just Amazon; former Google CEO Eric Schmidt blamed remote work for the company's struggling AI projects. But the effects of remote work on productivity aren't clear-cut. Some studies say it boosts productivity, while others say it does the opposite.