Amazon's 'Day 1' Culture: Inside the Shifts Reshaping the Workplace

Recent changes at Amazon—including a five-day return-to-office (RTO) mandate, accelerated AI integration, and mass layoffs—have reshaped the employee experience. Business Insider interviewed 12 current and former workers to capture their firsthand accounts.

AI Integration: A Double-Edged Sword

"AI is central to my work. I use it for communication with AI agents."
— Andrew Z. Chen, software development engineer, New York

A Seattle-based employee reported that AI usage in coding has increased dramatically, and the company actively tracks how often employees use it. A San Francisco software engineer uses AI frequently but cautions against over-reliance, warning of potential dependency.

A former product manager in Los Angeles said that AI usage was tracked and morale around it was low, driven by a growing fear of irrelevance among staff.

Return-to-Office Mandate: Mixed Reactions

Those who welcome it:

Andrew Z. Chen commutes 20–30 minutes and does not mind the policy.
The Seattle employee walks 15–20 minutes and appreciates clearer work-home boundaries.
A San Francisco engineer has a short commute and values the career benefits of in-office work.
Sarthak Gupta in Seattle walks 5 minutes, noting networking benefits and spontaneous collaboration.

Those who struggle:

A Seattle employee described the tracking of office hours as infantilizing, and noted pressure to stay later to meet expectations.
A European employee found RTO stressful, citing a long commute and increased costs, and observed a cultural clash with US norms.
Joanelle Cobos in Las Vegas had a 45–50 minute commute and was the only team member in her office, so there was no in-person collaboration at all.

Layoffs and Job Security: Uncertainty Amid Cuts

"I was placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP) in December. It took me seven months to find a new role."
— Nicholas Jenkins, former Amazon employee

Chen feels safe because his team was unaffected.
The Seattle employee feels stable but is aware of evolving performance expectations.
A former product manager in Los Angeles was laid off in October and believed cuts targeted management layers.
Nicholas Jenkins left Amazon in December after being placed on a PIP and found a new role after seven months.
Dominique Nkamicaniye, a senior product manager, was laid off in January after surviving prior rounds of cuts.
Iren Azra Zou, a software engineer, was laid off in October but quickly found a role at a startup.
Joanelle Cobos was laid off in October and faced a challenging job market with stiff competition.

Work-from-Home Accommodation: A Temporary Exception

Nkamicaniye was granted a work-from-home accommodation for two days per week for six months due to caregiving responsibilities. Her request for an extension was denied. She was later laid off.

Employee Sentiment: Wary and Weary

Several employees expressed uncertainty about job security and noted difficulty finding new roles due to intense competition.
Some feel that the RTO policy reduces flexibility and increases personal costs.
The European employee noted that Amazon's reputation in Europe is negative, with some colleagues comparing the company to Big Tobacco.

Bottom line: Amazon's relentless "Day 1" culture continues to evolve—but for many employees, it's bringing more disruption than stability.