Amazon Shares Manager Guidelines for 'Voluntary Resignation' Program
Amazon shared an internal guideline for some managers to use when discussing the new RTO policy.
Amazon is forcing employees to relocate to central "hub" offices.
Those who refuse to relocate can be considered a "voluntary resignation" under the new policy.
Amazon recently rolled out a so-called "return-to-hub" policy that forces employees to work out of centrally assigned office locations, called hubs.
Those going into an office nearest to their current city now have to relocate, seek a team change or special approval to stay put — otherwise, they have to leave under a "voluntary resignation" program, as Insider first reported.
Insider obtained an internal guide that Amazon shared this week with some managers to help them discuss the policy with staff. The 10-page document, prepared for a specific group within the company, sheds more light on this campaign and how it could play out in coming months.
This "Employee Conversation" guideline suggests that Amazon expects its new return-to-office policy to face initial resistance from employees. It also reveals how the company wants to communicate the sudden change.
"It is important to note that we do not necessarily expect the employee to make a decision in the initial conversation with you," the document states.
In an email to Insider, Amazon's spokesperson, Brad Glasser, said there's "more energy, collaboration, and connections happening since we've been working together at least three days per week."
"We continue to look at the best ways to bring more teams together in the same locations, and we'll communicate directly with employees as we make decisions that affect them," he added.
Here are some of the key points from the guidelines:
Those deemed to have voluntarily resigned will get no severance.
Employees who get approval to stay in their current location will still have to come into an office 3 times a week. That could apply even if the rest of the employee's team is in other cities.
Amazon managers should have "empathy and positive intent" when having these difficult conversations with their staff.
The goal of the new hub policy is to encourage more in-person work. After Amazon rolled out a 3-times a week office attendance policy in February, many employees questioned its effectiveness because in many cases their team members still worked in other locations. It was particularly confusing for those hired as virtual or who moved to remote locations during the pandemic. Just last year, Amazon said it didn't plan on forcing people back to the office, while it would continue "experimenting, learning, and adjusting for a while."
Three options
According to the internal guidelines, those unwilling to relocate near the hubs get three options. These apply to US-based employees, and those outside the country will have to follow local rules and timelines, it said.
First, they can get a special "co-location exception" approved by a director and HR partner. Those approved will still need to come into the office 3 times a week, regardless of where the rest of the team is.
Secondly, they can find a new team within 60 days that accommodates their needs. Some employees in good standing may get up to 6 months to find a new team.
The final option is to leave the company without severance. "This will be considered voluntary resignation," the document stated. "If they are not interested in relocating, the alternative is to leave the company."
Special exceptions
On a case-by-case basis, Amazon will give a "Remote Work Exception" that doesn't require an employee to come into the office at least 3 times a week, according to the guideline for managers.
It also has a "Field by Design" role for jobs that require visits to customer locations or other Amazon buildings a minimum of three times a week.
Jobs that can be done remotely, like customer service or ad sales, can be assigned "Remote by Design," and won't need to come into the office as much.
All three designations require approval from Amazon's S-team, a group of just over two dozen top executives. Amazon has about 300,000 corporate employees.
'Be prepared'
Perhaps in anticipation of sharp resistance from employees, the guidelines provide Amazon managers with several talking points and best-practice examples to follow.
It says managers should "lead with empathy and positive intent" throughout the employee conversation. They should also "be prepared" to explain the team's strategy and share options for the employee if they are "not aligned with the approved locations."
Managers should also "practice what you want to say ahead of time" and "be direct and clear, and also empathetic and compassionate."
If the employee threatens legal action, managers must notify HR and legal teams.
"Remember, the employee may be surprised by the proposed location, so it is normal to have to repeat information," the document advises.
Q&A templates
The guidelines come with 15 potential Q&A templates.
One of the questions is how to respond if an employee keeps asking why they need to relocate. The suggested answer is: "We are working to bring our teams together in the office and feel that this is the best location to support your ongoing growth and development, and the ability to deliver for our customers. These decisions are not taken lightly and we don't underestimate how much they might affect those who will need to re-locate."
It also tells managers to keep individual employee situations confidential. If an employee asks why someone else may have a remote work exemption, managers are to say "personal circumstances are confidential."
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Source: Business Insider
