Longtime Amazon employee criticises tech giant's work culture in retirement reflection

In a critical account shared upon retirement, a longtime Amazon employee who worked at the tech giant for 12 years, criticised the company's work culture and recent firing spree. In a post on social media, the employee, who joined in 2012, said the company has shifted from its famed "Day 1" philosophy to what they now call a "Day 2" mentality.

Day 1 is a mindset and operating model coined by founder Jeff Bezos, which focusses on maintaining the energy, agility, and customer obsession of a startup, no matter the company's size or age. The idea is to act as if it is the first day of the company, to avoid stagnation and lack of passion, which Bezos calls "Day 2".

According to a report in Financial Express, the employee said in the post that Amazon once had flexible remote work policies, which it stopped in favour of stringent return-to-office (RTO) rules. This, they said, has led to a toxic environment within the company with excessive competition. The post also added that performance improvement plans (PIPs) and ranking systems have brought workers under pressure and fear of termination.


“Watching so many people pushed out due to RTO and the PIP culture completely changed how I view the company. Amazon is definitely a Day 2 company at this point.”

The employee did not spare the leadership of chief executive Andy Jassy and frequent changes at the top, which have frazzled the staff.

The social media post garnered quick responses online, with many former Amazon employees sharing their own experiences at the company.

Amazon joined a string of Big Tech companies in laying off hundreds of workers to achieve operational efficiency. It announced cutting about 100 jobs in its devices and services unit in May, the group overseeing development of such diverse products as the Kindle, Echo speakers, Alexa voice assistant, and Zoox self-driving cars.