Amazon employees share ‘Survival Guide’ as 5-day work from office goes compulsory

Amazon employees are circulating a tongue-in-cheek “survival guide” as the tech giant’s mandatory five-day return-to-office policy faces early hurdles, including reported office thefts and basic hygiene concerns.
The guide, titled “Operation: Don’t Be The Office Menace,” surfaced on the anonymous employee message board Blind, reminding workers of basic office etiquette – including daily showering and wearing proper footwear, according to Business Insider.
“Deploy personal hygiene protocols BEFORE leaving your launch pad (home). Yes, that means actually using the shower you’ve been avoiding since WFH began,” reads one piece of advice from the guide, highlighting the adjustment challenges some remote workers face.
In Toronto, multiple employees reported personal belongings being stolen from their desks, with keyboards and mice disappearing from assigned workspaces. “Despite being adults that are well-paid, it’s shameful that we can’t trust each other with leaving personal belongings unattended,” one worker wrote on Slack, Business Insider reported.
The return-to-office mandate, which began in January 2025, has sparked various logistical challenges across Amazon’s offices. Employees report insufficient desk space, packed parking lots, and overcrowded shuttle buses. Some workers have resorted to working from cafeterias or hallways due to space constraints.
While Amazon’s spokesperson maintains that “the overwhelming majority of our employees have dedicated workspaces,” internal Slack messages reveal ongoing frustration. Some employees still question the policy’s effectiveness, noting that much of their work continues to be conducted through video calls with remote customers and colleagues in different locations.
Not all feedback has been negative. Some employees, particularly at Amazon Web Services, praise the policy for improving collaboration and work-life balance. “You just can’t recreate these connections online,” said Cash Ashley, an AWS employee.
The transition affects approximately 350,000 corporate staff among Amazon’s 1.5 million total workforce, with some office locations delayed until May 2025 due to capacity issues.