My #LinkedIn News Feed is buzzing with Amazon’s announcement requiring corporate employees to return to the office 5 days a week ?? Our Future of Work Weekly Report tomorrow will dive deeper into this, but I wanted to share a side many aren't discussing when it comes to Andy Jassy’s decision. ?? I know my feed is full of #FutureofWorkers, and most arguments lean in favor of #Remote and #Hybrid work. But here’s what stood out in Jassy’s letter: 1?? Clear objectives. Jassy laid out two reasons: (1) flatten the organization to reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency, and (2) bring people back in person for collaboration, innovation, and culture. While I don’t fully agree that in-person is necessary, it’s clear why he believes it will lead to better outcomes. 2?? Tangible goals tied to Amazon’s core values. Jassy outlined increasing the ratio of individual contributors to managers by 15% by Q1 2025, linked to Amazon’s Core Values of Customer Obsession, Ownership, and Invent. It frames organizational changes as part of Amazon’s broader mission, which could obtain internal support (maybe?) 3?? The "Bureaucracy Mailbox." Employees can submit feedback on bureaucratic bottlenecks to eliminate unnecessary processes causing inefficiencies. It’s a move to empower employees, but success depends on leadership acting on the feedback. 4?? Remote work allowances. Jassy acknowledged remote work for emergencies, sick children, or when employees need a quiet space to finish coding for example. He reassured that pre-approved remote workers wouldn’t need to change their setup. But why not extend that flexibility further? We need to look beyond the headlines when these #RTOs appear. Jassy isn’t trying to strongarm employees or blame remote work like other CEOs. Instead, he and the leadership team made a strategic decision tied to their goals. This isn’t a typical RTO; it’s part of a broader organizational restructure that includes coming back to the office. I’m not a fan of the decision, but this time, it was delivered with reason, clarity, strategy tied to core values, and some empathy. It would’ve been helpful if Jassy provided data to support his claims, particularly when he said, “We believe the advantages of being together in the office are significant.” A company as data-driven as Amazon surely tracks this. Were there reductions in productivity or engagement working remotely? Let’s see the numbers. ?? If it were me; I would’ve tested the Manager to IC ratio change first before requiring everyone back. Today’s tools make it easier to stay connected, informed, and engaged remotely. And with Amazon’s scale, it will always have a #distributed workforce, regardless of office presence. As #FutureofWorkers, we need to avoid jumping to conclusions and explore how these decisions were made. I hope this doesn’t take us backward, but it’s one of the better approaches to RTO I’ve seen from large tech organizations due to the structured and details included.