Amazon Employee Crafts Satirical 'Leadership Principles' Amid Return-To-Office Uproar: 'Fire And Demote The Best'

In a satirical response to Amazon.com, Inc.‘s AMZN controversial return-to-office policy, an employee has reportedly crafted a series of satirical mock leadership principles.

What Happened: Amazon, known for adhering to its 16 core leadership principles, has been grappling with internal dissent over its aggressive return-to-office policy requiring employees to be physically present for at least three days a week. 

In response, one Amazon employee shared a satirical take on the company’s leadership principles, “Leadership Principles for RTO” — a tongue-in-cheek list reimagining the company’s principles, reported Business Insider. 

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Among the mock principles, one that stands out is “Deliver Bu**s to Seats,” a humorous spin on Amazon’s genuine “Deliver Results” principle. Some of the other mock leadership principles include, "Copy and Complicate," "Stagnate and Be Stubborn" and "Fire and Demote the Best."

It suggests that leaders prioritize critical factors for their business, notably corporate real estate profits, and achieve them by compelling employees to be physically present.

It further states that despite setbacks, leaders resort to stern email communications and leverage Amazon’s well-known performance improvement plans, including the notorious “pivot,” to ensure strict adherence to the policy, the report noted.  

Why It’s Important: The return-to-office policy at Amazon has been a source of internal strife, primarily because it contradicts earlier statements made by CEO Andy Jassy, who had initially indicated flexibility in the company’s approach to remote work. 

In February, the e-commerce giant reversed its stance, mandating the return-to-office and triggering widespread employee dissatisfaction.

The situation escalated further when Amazon began compelling some staff to relocate near central “hub” offices or face “voluntary resignation.” 

Besides Amazon, Meta Platforms Inc. META and Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL has also reportedly issued notices urging employees to resume office, with remote work requests being considered only in exceptional cases going forward. 

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