Amazon Tells Employees: Relocate, Resign, Or Be Replaced

Amazon has issued a relocation mandate for corporate staff, requiring employees to move to designated hubs like Seattle, Arlington, or Washington, DC.  

This policy, leaked to Bloomberg on June 18, comes just one day after CEO Andy Jassy said the company’s AI adoption will “reduce our total corporate workforce” over the next few years.

Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon’s new relocate, resign, or be replaced policy.

What changed?

On June 18, Amazon told thousands of employees that they must relocate or resign. One employee reported they were given 30 days to decide and 60 days to comply or resign without severance.

Amazon stated that the policy supports in-person collaboration. “Some teams have been working to bring their teammates closer together to help them be as effective as possible,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “We hear from the majority of our teammates that they love the energy from being located together.”

Why now?

But just the day before, another Bloomberg article was posted about Amazon. On the surface, the two stories are unrelated.

On June 17, the day before the relocation order, CEO Andy Jassy said that Amazon expects to need fewer corporate employees in the coming years due to AI advancements. “We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today,” he said, forecasting that the company’s total corporate workforce will shrink.

Bottom line

This latest move marks a major shift in Amazon’s return-to-office approach:

1. Amazon started to require five days per week in the office starting on January 2, 2025. 
2. On June 18, 2025, Amazon told thousands of employees that they must relocate or resign.
3. A company spokesperson says it’s to be more effective and since people like being in-person together.
4. Yet the day before (June 17) in a separate article, CEO Andy Jassy said AI will reduce the need for people.

It’s clear: Amazon’s new RTO policy (relocate or resign) isn’t about the office at all. It’s about reducing headcount to make room for AI to do the work.

Amazon’s Return To Office: Current Policy

• Return To Office Date: January 2, 2025
  • June 18, 2025: Relocate to an office hub or resign
• Location Policy: Office First
• Office Visit Expectations: 5 days/week (one of a handful of five-day RTO companies in the Fortune 500)
• Office Space Footprint: Decreasing

Learn more about Amazon’s RTO policy and timeline here.

View All Return To Office Plans For The Fortune 500

Every month, we update every Fortune 500 company’s return-to-office policy. You can download the Fortune 500 RTO spreadsheet below.