Tens of thousands of Amazon workers return to in-person work in Washington

foxbusiness.com:

Cushman & Wakefield Inc. Chairman of Global Brokerage Bruce Mosler weighs in on the in-person office push happening in New York City. 

Monday marked the first day back on the job in person for 50,000 Amazon workers in Seattle. 

The employees' return to work was expected to impact traffic in the city after many turned to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearby Bellevue is also preparing to welcome back 12,000 Amazon workers to the offices there, FOX 13 reported.

The return-to-work mandate was announced last September by CEO Andy Jassy, who linked the new five-day requirement to Amazon’s effort to be «better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other and our culture to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business.» 

The tech giant had previously transitioned from remote work to a mandated three days a week in-office in May of last year, and implemented some other changes.

AMAZON EMPLOYEES SEND ANGRY LETTER ON RETURN-TO-OFFICE POLICY; MANAGEMENT STANDS FIRM

Corporate office buildings rise above The Spheres at the Amazon.com Inc. headquarters on November 14, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder / Getty Images)

The month after the full-time in-office announcement was made, over 500 Amazon employees sent a letter to Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman, urging a reversal of the mandate and challenging his recent statement that the policy has «broad support» among staff. 

The letter included personal stories from a dozen employees, who cited family obligations, medical needs and extensive commute times as barriers to adhering to the policy. One worker reported a four-hour commute to the nearest office, while another noted that his spouse would need to leave her job if