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
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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.
"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."
