Pompeo Group’s Post

The core issue is that the company shifted from saying, "we make data-driven decisions" to "trust us, everyone likes RTO, and no, we won't show you the data behind this decision." If they were honest and said, "Look, companies aren't democracies; they’re dictatorships. We, the executives, have decided that you must return to the office, and no we aren't backing this up by data," it would have led to grumbling, of course. But at least the reality of the corporate game would be unmasked, allowing people to begin accepting it. Instead, they've chosen not to be transparent, leaving employees to fill in the gaps with their own logical explanations. This increasingly looks like a stealth layoff, especially since the company has openly stated they want to trim middle management. What's the best way to avoid paying severance? Make people quit by telling them to relocate to a high-cost-of-living area. I think this is a bad idea overall because what Amazon is suffering from is mismanagement and corporate bloat which has nothing to do with WFH as mentioned here: https://lnkd.in/gccbi5SM https://lnkd.in/gtrMM2xN

5 day a week in office mandate by Amazon CEO. I can't actually recall when I last did 5 days in an office never mind pre covid. What I have ascertained post covid is that hiring the right capability has become a lot easier given more flexible working styles. I've people in my team the breadth of the country. This approach seems archaic but as writers have eluded to perhaps a ploy to shed jobs 'naturally'. What's your working pattern? https://lnkd.in/e_bkPDVs

In my opinion it’s a mixed bag. There are studies that back productivity in both locations. In 1986, when I started working, there was a mutual relationship between employer and employee. I don’t think that’s the case any more. Employees get far less from employers then they did back then. While employees receive a well deserved financial break in reduced travel/meal costs, employers have costly vacant office space. I had hoped that the days of the home and field offices would end, thus saving both employer and employee money. What is the point of all this technology if we can’t put it to a mutually beneficial use? RTO hurts the employee. Give it a few weeks before the office politics, general gossip, and people being on top of each other daily - and will see where the productivity goes.? So much for the working man.

Amazon’s push for a five-day office mandate does raise some questions. Remote work has proven itself in terms of productivity, many employees get just as much, if not more, done when working from home. Plus, giving people flexibility often means they’re happier and more engaged, which strengthens a culture just as much as physical proximity might. Letting employees work remotely also widens the talent pool, attracting great candidates from all over, not just those close to headquarters. That can bring fresh perspectives, which is fantastic for innovation and growth. And there’s a practical side too, cutting down commutes saves both time and money for workers, not to mention it’s environmentally friendly, something more and more people value. Ultimately, hybrid work doesn’t have to be a threat to company culture. In fact, it could be Amazon’s chance to lead the way in creating a flexible, employee-first model that respects both personal needs and business goals.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had to deny using the new 5-day in-office mandate as a cost-savings layoff strategy. He says it’s to “strengthen their culture” yet fails, again, to mention how forcing people to work in person will do this, and how remote work has failed them in this endeavor. Read more in Annie Palmer’s latest article here: https://lnkd.in/d5X6742z Want to know what else Amazon can expect with a forced RTO? Check out my article on this topic: https://lnkd.in/eKRqxewi

The #CEO of Amazon denying that his forced RTO mandates are really just a "backdoor layoff" ploy to layoff probably thousands of staff while avoiding having to pay staff any severance pay which is a very toxic action. Yes RTO pushes and Hybrid pushes and toxicity like bullying are often used to force people to quit/leave of their own free will so they lose their right to severance pay or legal action against their toxic ex-employer. But why is Amazon looking to get rid of so many white collar office staff though stealth sneaky layoffs method of using RTO and Hybrid work hoping staff wanting WFH remote work to quit/leave? And why is Amazon looking to get rid of blue collar warehouse workers by replacing them with AI Robots? And will Amazon look to replace delivery drivers with Robo delivery vans with robots to deliver packages to your door or push for customers to pick-up their packages from a Amazon lock-box so no need for delivery workers? This sounds like massive labor cost-cutting throught massive layoffs through RTO to get people to quit so they do not have to spend money on severance pay. And probably massive non-labor cost-cutting too. And using cheap mega-crap mega-slow failed useless incompetent toxic clique Woke-India onshore offshore labor to save money is a massive failure as you get what you pay for. This begs the question just how bad massive trouble is Amazon in? Did ex-CEO Jeff Bezos appoint toxic clique ass-kissing Andy Jassy to be the new day-to-day CEO so he could be the scapegoat to take all the blame when Amazon goes belly-up? While Jeff Bezos retained his position as #Executive #Chairman for power-hungry control. Yes the extreme few modrrn companies Amazon and Apple collapsing in big trouble. And the few modern legacy companies Meta and Alphabet Google and Microsoft and Netflix and Tesla in big trouble collapsing. And all legacy companies and business's and gov-agencies collapsing in big trouble. Gov-agencies only saved for now thanks to big bailouts until federal governments can No longer borrow any more money as their national debt skyrocketing-up out of control. I have near 40 years experience as a best-of-the-best IBM Synon2e RPG techie & #executive #management + business #advisor consultant. I am available for #CEO or #CIO position. I am available also for #Boardmember positions. I also give high-paid #Csuite & #Board & #Shareholder & #Investor etc #advisor consultation. I am writing a #book too if #bookpublisher companies interested. I keep getting asked about Synon2e & RPG techie positions but they only need me to do other peoples work for them that only will do for a big price. READY FOR MY REAL HELP BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AS CHANGE STARTS AT THE TOP? Then contact me now. https://lnkd.in/eJ5cJ4Qc #news #economy #finance #cfo

Backdoor Layoff: A Growing Controversy Backdoor layoffs, where companies induce employees to resign voluntarily, are becoming more common. For example, Amazon has mandated a full-time return to office by January 2025, which many see as a way to reduce staff without formal layoffs. About 73% of Amazon employees are considering leaving due to this policy. However, Amazon denies that this move is intended to force employees out. Similarly, Grindr faced backlash for requiring employees to relocate closer to a hub within two weeks, resulting in over 80 layoffs for non-compliance. Grindr also denies that this policy was implemented to reduce staff indirectly. According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Grindr used the return-to-office mandate to thwart unionization efforts. These practices raise ethical and legal concerns and highlight the need for transparency and fair policies. What do you think? For more details: https://lnkd.in/dHuEtrHN https://lnkd.in/dC2cf6_c https://lnkd.in/d9bHs5Mf https://lnkd.in/dRRAaNwW This post was created in collaboration with my assistant: Copilot

People and performance. Engagement and turnover. Trust and leadership. So many things are spinning around this Amazon announcement and the reactions of other organizations to their mandated return to the office mandate (probably linked to layoffs). "...an anonymous Blind survey of 2,585 Amazon workers after the announcement found that 91% were dissatisfied with the decision, and nearly three-quarters said they were looking for other employment because of the RTO mandate. Roughly a third of poll respondents said they knew someone who has already quit because of it." And not many other companies seem to be jumping on this wagon train. Resistance to RTO seems pretty clear and that is the number one benefit that I have seen in other companies, worth a 6% salary reduction. Interesting times for sure. And have any companies actually shown a real improvement in metrics when their people come back? Why not just engage and align them better? Why not improve Supervisor skills? https://lnkd.in/e_Fbix_P

"Amazon CEO denies full in-office mandate is 'backdoor layoff'" (Source: Economic Times) When this headline appeared in my inbox, I couldn’t help but click through to read the article. In the post-pandemic era, remote work has become a norm for many industries. While some major companies are pushing for a return to the office, this shift is often met with strong resistance from employees. Although Amazon's announcement wasn’t entirely surprising, CEO Andy Jassy’s comments did catch my attention. Jassy explained that the mandate was intended to support the company’s culture. Yet, as the article continues, it becomes evident that many Amazon employees strongly disagree with this approach, going so far as to petition for a revision to the policy. This raises an important question: is Amazon’s culture truly a shared vision between leadership and employees? In this case, there seems to be a disconnect, revealing a possible misalignment in values. Amazon’s return-to-office mandate underscores the importance of a culture that resonates with both leadership and employees. When values align, culture drives loyalty and performance; when they don’t, it risks disengagement and turnover. As companies face these shifts, the question remains: are organisations prepared to handle change at scale, and is the workforce ready to adapt? #CorporateCulture #Change #BackToOffice #FutureOfWork

Yesterday, Amazon declared that its workforce is required to return to in-office work five days a week. Furthermore, the company plans to adjust the ratio of employees to managers by an increase of 15%, effectively streamlining its organizational structure, an approach often referred to in HR as Reorganization. A common strategy in HR, particularly when trying to avoid layoffs, involves implementing policies that indirectly achieve the same results. This often manifests as performance management policies that mandate a certain percentage of employees be dismissed based on poor performance, putting managers in the difficult position of having to identify or sometimes designate low performers to meet these targets. Such policies allow the company to sidestep the direct act of layoffs, circumventing the need to pay severance or extend unemployment benefits to those affected. This approach raises significant ethical and legal questions, particularly concerning how it allows businesses to navigate around obligations laid out in the WARN ACT, and the financial impacts traditionally associated with layoffs. It’s important to note that HR professionals are typically well aware of the implications and mechanics behind these decisions. They understand the delicate balance these policies entail and their broader effects. It will be very interesting to see how the election impacts these changes.