Amazon’s Return-to-Office Policy: Is It the Best Way to Handle Productivity Risks?

Amazon’s recent decision to implement a five-day-a-week return-to-office (RTO) policy has sparked intense discussion. While corporate leaders like Amazon CEO Andy Jassy believe this approach will restore collaboration and strengthen company culture, critics argue that it’s a regressive move. More importantly, such policies may fail to address the true root causes of declining productivity and engagement: lack of transparency, and siloed organizational processes.

As companies look to reestablish a sense of normalcy post-pandemic, 90% of organizations are planning to enforce some form of in-office presence. But is forcing employees back to their desks really the answer to improving performance? If the past few years have taught us anything, the problems businesses face run far deeper than physical presence. Top-down mandates like Amazon’s RTO policy could exacerbate existing issues, alienating employees and hampering innovation.

The Flawed Logic Behind RTO Policies

Amazon’s policy stands out not just for its rigidness, but also for its potential to backfire. While Jassy emphasizes the benefits of in-office work for team cohesion, research shows that forcing employees back into the office full-time often leads to resentment and disengagement. This could be a costly mistake for a company like Amazon, which relies on attracting and retaining top talent.

Amazon is not alone in adopting RTO mandates, but the trend is troubling. As we’ve discussed in a previous blog post, companies like Wayfair came under fire last year for targeting remote workers during layoffs. The public backlash highlighted how singling out remote employees can damage a company’s reputation and erode trust between leadership and staff. Amazon’s move runs a similar risk.

Many organizations have seen pushback from employees, with some resorting to “hushed hybrid” arrangements where managers quietly agree to reduce in-office days. These leaders recognize that strict mandates often undermine the flexibility and autonomy that workers value. Instead of boosting productivity, these policies risk fostering a culture of compliance, where employees show up only to check a box, engage in “coffee badging,” and avoid genuine collaboration.

The deeper issue here is that RTO policies fail to address what truly matters: transparency and accountability in how work is done. In the current landscape, the emphasis should not be on time spent in the office but on how effectively teams meet objective outcome-based key performance indicators (KPIs) and contribute to broader organizational goals.

The “Elephant Problem”: Silos and Lack of Transparency

One of the greatest challenges organizations face today is the so-called “elephant problem”—where each department sees only a small piece of the overall picture. This lack of visibility across departments creates silos, where decisions are made in isolation without understanding their impact on the larger organization.

In pre-pandemic times, spontaneous interactions in the office—whether in the breakroom or over a desk—helped break down these silos. However, with the shift to remote work, those opportunities for informal collaboration disappeared, amplifying the elephant problem. But is a full-scale return to the office the solution to this?

At its core, the challenge isn’t about where people work—it’s about how work is organized and managed. In many cases, the issue of siloed decision-making has less to do with remote work and more to do with a lack of clear communication and accountability frameworks. Amazon’s RTO policy, while aimed at fixing these problems, may actually miss the mark by focusing too heavily on location rather than process improvements.

Amazon’s Policy Could Hurt Talent Retention

Beyond the short-term dissatisfaction of employees being forced back to the office, Amazon’s RTO policy could have longer-term consequences. Tech workers, particularly in today’s job market, highly value flexibility. Top talent is more likely to gravitate toward organizations that offer hybrid or remote work models, and Amazon’s rigid approach could hurt its ability to attract and retain the best and brightest.

We’ve already seen employees protest against the company’s previous hybrid model, and increasing the demands to a five-day workweek will likely only exacerbate the issue. The potential for this policy to cause high turnover, especially among tech employees who have no shortage of remote job opportunities, is significant.

The situation Amazon finds itself in is a reflection of a broader trend among companies that mistakenly attribute post-pandemic productivity challenges to remote work. In reality, these issues existed long before remote work became the norm. The pandemic merely amplified existing problems around transparency and accountability—problems that will not be solved by forcing people back to the office.

Focus on Measuring Real Outcomes, Not Office Hours

Rather than implementing top-down policies that force people into the office, organizations should focus on setting clear objective KPIs that measure real outcomes—regardless of where work takes place. However, having KPIs is not enough; you need to be able to track them effectively and understand the associated risks.

Many organizations are ill-equipped to manage performance effectively because they lack the tools to monitor KPIs in real-time. The solution lies in objective, outcome-driven KPIs that reflect the true quality and quantity of work produced. While simple metrics like hours worked may seem like an easy way to track performance, they often fail to capture the full picture. Instead, companies should focus on measuring engagement, productivity, and output—things that drive business results.

At LogicManager, we’ve seen firsthand how a focus on outcome-driven KPIs can drive success. As a fully remote company since 2020, we’ve used our own risk management platform to break down silos and ensure accountability. By executing controls and monitoring metrics in real-time, we’ve gained a clear understanding of how our teams are performing, without needing to rely on in-person interactions.

Rather than dictating how and where work should be done, we’ve empowered our employees to focus on outcomes. This approach has not only helped us maintain high levels of productivity, but it has also fostered a culture of trust and autonomy. Our experience shows that with the right tools and processes in place, it’s possible to manage a fully remote workforce effectively.

The Risks of Focusing on the Wrong Solutions

The pressure on CEOs and corporate leaders is immense, and many are grasping for quick fixes, like RTO policies, to try and restore productivity. But without addressing the real problems—lack of transparency, poor communication, and ineffective accountability structures—these solutions are bound to fail. Forcing people back to the office may provide a temporary bandage, but it won’t heal the underlying issues.

If organizations continue to focus on the wrong solutions, they risk alienating their workforce, driving up turnover, and missing out on the talent and innovation needed to succeed in today’s competitive market. The real solution lies in building transparent processes, setting meaningful KPIs, and equipping teams with the right tools to manage their performance effectively.

Conclusion: A New Approach to Performance Risk Management

Amazon’s return-to-office mandate may seem like a step toward restoring pre-pandemic norms, but in reality, it’s a regressive approach that fails to address the underlying issues organizations face today. Instead of focusing on where employees work, companies should prioritize how work is measured and managed.

Simply having KPIs isn’t enough—you need the tools to track them effectively and understand the risks associated with performance management. Outcome-driven KPIs that measure quality and quantity of output are far more valuable than superficial metrics like hours worked or days spent in the office.

The success of any organization hinges not on where employees are physically located, but on how well performance is tracked and aligned with business goals. By shifting the focus from office hours to meaningful KPIs and ensuring teams are equipped with the resources to succeed, companies can build a future that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and long-term success.