Why Amazon is tracking office hours of its corporate employees
Amazon has introduced a new policy to monitor the office hours of its corporate employees, aiming to discourage the practice known as 'coffee badging.' This term refers to workers who badge in, grab a coffee, and then leave shortly afterward to fulfill their return-to-office mandate. The move is part of Amazon's ongoing efforts to enforce its return-to-office policy amid significant employee resistance.
Amazon sets minimum office hours for attendance
Amazon has communicated to several teams, including those in retail and cloud-computing units, that a minimum of two hours per visit is required for it to count as office attendance. Some teams have been instructed to stay for a minimum of six hours per visit. These directives were revealed via screenshots of internal Slack messages obtained by Business Insider, and corroborated by individuals familiar with the matter.
Amazon justifies the move
Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan claimed the company is addressing employees, who are not spending sufficient time in the office. She said, "Over a year ago we asked employees to start coming into the office three or more days per week because we believe it would yield the best long-term results for our customers, business, and culture." "The vast majority of employees are in the office more frequently.......We're hearing that from employees and the businesses that surround our offices," Callahan added.
Consequences for non-compliance
Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy has previously warned non-compliant employees about potential consequences, including termination. The company has also blocked promotions for those failing to comply with the policy, and even required some employees to relocate closer to their teams. The issue of 'coffee badging' is not unique to Amazon, as a survey conducted last year by videoconferencing company Owl Labs, found that 58% of hybrid workers admitted to this practice.
Potential loopholes in Amazon's new attendance policy
Despite Amazon's efforts, at least one employee has reportedly found a way to bypass the new attendance policy. This individual claimed to have successfully badged in through a back room at a local Whole Foods store, an Amazon subsidiary. The badge-in was clocked as attendance on Amazon's internal report, raising questions about potential loopholes in the new policy.
