In a move that has sent ripples through its corporate workforce, Amazon has issued a stark directive to thousands of U.S.-based employees: relocate to designated city hubs within 30 days or face a 60-day countdown to either move or resign—without severance2.
The mandate, which affects staff across multiple departments, requires employees to shift to major urban centers such as Seattle, Arlington, and Washington, D.C., to be closer to their teams and managers. The policy is being communicated through one-on-one meetings and town halls rather than broad company-wide announcements, adding to the anxiety among workers already grappling with job insecurity.
This relocation push comes on the heels of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s announcement that the company’s corporate headcount will shrink significantly in the coming years. The reason? A sweeping integration of generative AI tools, which Jassy described as a “once-in-a-lifetime” innovation poised to transform operations and boost efficiency across the board4.
While Amazon maintains that the goal is to foster better collaboration and team synergy, the policy has sparked concern among mid-career professionals—especially those with families or partners with established careers—who are reluctant to uproot their lives. Critics argue that the lack of severance for those who choose to resign adds further pressure to an already fraught situation4.
As the tech giant doubles down on AI and cost-cutting, this relocation ultimatum may be just the beginning of broader structural changes within one of the world’s most influential companies. Whether this strategy will yield long-term gains or deepen employee unrest remains to be seen.