Amazon employees, who usually express their concerns internally or anonymously, took their grievances public this week via a viral LinkedIn post that resonated with many within the company.
The post was authored by Stephanie Ramos, a former Amazon employee, who expressed her dissatisfaction with the company’s increasing bureaucracy. “Instead of the fast-paced, exciting environment I remembered, I found myself in a place bogged down by endless meetings and unproductive middle management,” Ramos explained, citing these reasons for her departure after just three months of being rehired.
Amazon Employees Air Frustrations
Since sharing her thoughts earlier this week, Ramos’ message has amassed over 100,000 views and sparked more than 200 comments. Among the commenters, about 20 are current Amazon employees from various departments, many of whom echoed similar frustrations.
Some criticized the leadership of Andy Jassy, Amazon’s CEO since succeeding founder Jeff Bezos three years ago. “Bezos had a vision and boldness — he held real, live all-hands meetings where tough questions were addressed,” wrote Todd Leonhardt, identified as a software developer at Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Another employee, Laura Barry, who has been with Amazon for nearly 20 years, compared the company’s current state to a traditional bank and expressed frustration with the new policy requiring employees to be in the office five days a week. “Next, we’ll probably have a dress code after the five-day policy kicks in,” she quipped, “Better cover those tattoos!”
While it’s common for employees to voice complaints, this week’s surge of public criticism on LinkedIn was unusual for Amazon.
In response, Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan did not address the employee complaints directly but noted that Amazon ranked second on LinkedIn’s 2023 Top Companies list, which highlights large companies based on factors like employee growth and advancement.
Under Jassy’s leadership, Amazon has implemented layoffs and cost-cutting measures that have pleased investors but alienated some staff members. Jassy himself acknowledged challenges within the company in a September memo when he announced the five-day office return, stating that trimming management layers would help revive Amazon’s core culture.
Although there was resistance to this return-to-office policy, much of the dissent remained on anonymous platforms like Blind, where employees can voice opinions without revealing their identities.
Ramos, who had previously worked at Amazon for six years as a logistics project manager before being laid off in 2023, returned to the company earlier this year but ultimately resigned. She shared that while the office return policy wasn’t an issue for her, the shift in company culture led to her decision to leave.
Though initially nervous about posting her thoughts publicly, Ramos said she felt validated when she saw the amount of support from her colleagues. “I realized I’m not the only one who feels this way,” she said.
