Ethan Evans, former Amazon VP, believes remote work empowers entrepreneurs, criticizing the push for office returns as a 'quit' signal. He cites his own experience promoting remote leaders, including one who established a company center in Bengaluru.
In a post on X, he argued that large corporations are pushing employees back to the office based on personal beliefs rather than evidence, especially in a challenging economy where quitting is a risk.
"Assume that effective remote work is actually a key competitive advantage. If that's true, then companies that embrace it instead of fighting it will gain a major edge in the future. Entrepreneurs who build tools or solutions for remote work will thrive," he wrote.
Mr Evans acknowledged that while no good employee wants excessive monitoring, some "gleeful scammers" brag about juggling multiple full-time jobs remotely, fueling skepticism about remote work. "The fear of these people undermines trust in remote work," he said. He suggested that a non-invasive, reliable "slacker detection" tool would be highly valuable, adding that many employees would likely accept some level of monitoring over spending hours commuting.
Highlighting his own experience managing remote teams, Mr Evans shared how the first two people he promoted to Amazon Director worked remotely. "To help them succeed, we had to create opportunities where they could prove their independence, judgment, leadership, and ability to deliver results without direct supervision," he explained. One leader moved to Orange County, California, to establish a new office, while the other relocated to Bangalore, India, to launch a project center.
See the post here:
In contrast, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has doubled down on in-office work, recently making it mandatory for employees to be in the office five days a week starting in January. Previously, Amazon required three office days per week for the last 15 months, a policy Jassy claims has strengthened collaboration and company culture.
"We've found that working together in person makes it easier to learn, collaborate, and innovate. Teams are more connected, and teaching and learning from each other happens more naturally," he stated in a memo to employees.
Jassy noted that Amazon will allow exceptions for emergencies, certain isolated work tasks, and employees approved for remote work by senior leadership.
Amazon, which employs over 1.5 million people globally, continues to enforce its office-first approach despite ongoing debates about the future of remote work.
