Amazon Makes It Harder for Disabled Employees to Work from Home

For a company that is supposedly data driven like Amazon likes to tout, they have zero data that RTO would provide the benefits they claim[0]. They even admitted as much[1].

I wouldn't be shocked if one day some leaked memos or emails come to light that prove it was all about control and/or backdoor layoffs, despite their PR spin that it isn't (what competent company leader would openly admit this?)

[0]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/10/over-500-amazon-...

[1]: https://fortune.com/2023/09/05/amazon-andy-jassy-return-to-o...

They'll have plenty of data to support the primary motivation: that enforcing arbitrary RTO policies will absolutely aid in generating staff turnover and voluntary attrition without having to payout severance costs. The policy gives them less direct control over who they lose, but I'm sure the data also points to any critical replacement employees being willing to work for less on average. That's the data they are looking at.

Agree with this, but do want to let employees know that if this happens to them, that changes in working conditions can be considered constructive dismissal even if you quit.

Yeah, that only buys you unemployment though, not severance (which is typically much greater but comes with an NDA of some kind).

Man, nothing makes you appreciate EU labour protections like reading the HN comments.

Man, nothing makes me appreciate USA labor laws like reading the HN comments. I (unironically) love how it's easy to get a job here; since firing is easy, employers are more willing to take a chance on hiring someone. Plus it would suck as an employee to be forced to give your employer 4+ weeks of notice if you want to resign. Whereas in the USA with at-will employment we can quit tomorrow with zero notice and suffer no financial penalties.

Must be nice to work under the eternal threat of being laid off on a whim.