Cyber Monday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Amazon Employees Plan a Walkout at Seattle Headquarters, Say Morale Is at an 'All-Time Low' The organizers hope the walkout will include nearly 1,000 participants.

By Madeline Garfinkle Edited by Jessica Thomas

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Amazon Spheres, part of the Amazon headquarters campus, in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, Washington on Jan. 19, 2023.

Amazon employees at its Seattle headquarters have planned a large-scale walkout over frustration with the company's recent practices, The Washington Post reported.

Sources close to the matter claim employees are fed up with the tech giant's recent layoffs, return-to-office initiatives and climate commitments.

"Morale feels like it's at an all-time low," an Amazon employee who is based in Los Angeles but plans to participate in the walkout told the Post. "In meetings and one-on-ones with colleagues, there's so much uncertainty and lack of clarity from leadership. … It's an unsettling time to work at Amazon."

Related: Amazon Employees Are Fighting on Slack About Returning to the Office

Sources also told the outlet that organizers hope up to 1,000 people will participate in the walkout, which will take place on May 31.

"We respect our employees' rights to express their opinions," an Amazon spokesperson told Entrepreneur.

Over the past six months, Amazon has laid off about 27,000 employees as the company acknowledged it overhired during the pandemic. The ecommerce giant first laid off 18,000 employees in November, and then another 9,000 in March. Although layoffs aren't the only reason workers are frustrated with the company, it's a factor, according to the sources.

Related: Whole Foods to Lay Off Hundreds of Corporate Employees in Company-Wide Restructuring of Certain Teams

"We're really walking out to show leadership is taking us in the wrong direction and employees need a say in the decisions that affect our lives," a Seattle-based software engineer for Amazon told The Seattle Times.

Despite some employees' frustration about returning to the office, the spokesperson said that there has been "good energy" on the Amazon campus.

"We've heard this from lots of employees and the businesses that surround our offices," the spokesperson added. "As it pertains to the specific topics this group of employees is raising, we've explained our thinking in different forums over the past few months and will continue to do so."

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

'Something Previously Impossible': New AI Makes 3D Worlds Out of a Single Image

The new technology allows viewers to explore two-dimensional images in 3D.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'I Stand By My Decisions': A CEO Is Going Viral For Firing Almost All of the Company's Employees — Here's Why

The Musicians Club CEO Baldvin Oddsson fired 99 workers at once over Slack for missing a morning meeting. But there's a catch.

Fundraising

They Turned Down an Early Pay Day to Maintain Control of Their Business. And Then Went on to Raise $190 Million.

Jason Yeh, co-founder and General Partner of Patron, explains the early-stage venture firm's creation and future outlook.

Real Estate

Why Real Estate Should Be a Key Part of Your Wealth-Building Strategy in 2025 and Beyond

Real estate remains a strong choice for building wealth in 2025 and beyond, from its ability to generate passive income to offering long-term appreciation and acting as a hedge against inflation.