An AWS developer claims Amazon is “silently sacking” staff by pushing them to take a different role that they would quit later, avoiding the need for severance
Amazon has a stock problem. It's not only Amazon, but they have more to lose. If you're a customer, that's going to be bad for your business too. Threads: @alkalinegarrett and @carnage4life Mastodon: @paco@infosec.exchange and @jamie@zomglol.wtf Bluesky: @janety.bsky.social , @gregpoirier.bsky.social , @justingarrison.com , and @justingarrison.com X: @nickhudkins , @miadabrin , @johncodezzz , @eigenseries , @thebriangraf , @_avahgar_ , @steveeypips , @quorumneeded , @susanpotter , @mike_julian , @nickhudkins , @vaughan_in_aus , @rothgar , @l1quid1ty , @cbarrett , @nikovirtala , @astuyve , @mistwire , and @satpandalai . LinkedIn: Justin Garrison . Forums: Hacker News Threads: Garrett Jones / @alkalinegarrett : It's been standard operating procedure for all of Amazon's existence to have teams stretched thin with headcount gaps (source: worked there for 8 years) Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life : Justin Garrison, a developer advocate on Amazon's AWS, argues that Amazon's aggressive RTO policy which includes telling people who were hired as remote that they have to work in the office even if it means moving, is a stealth layoff. He also reveals that roles are being eliminated, including his, without being laid off. … Mastodon: Happy New Paco / @paco@infosec.exchange : I work at #AWS and this seems fairly believable to me. I'm seeing stuff like this myself. https://justingarrison.com/... Jamie Gaskins / @jamie@zomglol.wtf : Fascinating read about how Amazon is imploding by someone still employed there who is trying to get laid off https://justingarrison.com/... Bluesky: Janet Y. / @janety.bsky.social : Why does this not surprise me? [embedded post] Greg / @gregpoirier.bsky.social : There'll be a lot of this in 2024, until companies realize their top performers are leaving for somewhere they CAN work remotely, while the bottom ones stay. [embedded post] Justin Garrison / @justingarrison.com : I'm sure I'll get a call on Tuesday 😅 Justin Garrison / @justingarrison.com : The past year at AWS has been hostile for a variety of reasons. Mainly because Amazon seems to dislike having employees — https://justingarrison.com/... X: Nick Hudkins / @nickhudkins : @rothgar I've been absolutely floored just how high up in the reporting chain is absolutely “powerless” or so it has seemed. What happened to LEADERSHIP. It's eerily quiet from the folks I would expect to... LEAD. Miad / @miadabrin : @rothgar This is quite concerning. Not only for the employees but AWS itself as well. This can't possibly hold long term John McBride / @johncodezzz : > How could they force people to leave without severance packages or en masse? Making them miserable and silently sacking them. Working on Bottlerocket was a dream for me. That dream died when RTO was enforced and I was told I'd eventually probably have to move to Seattle. @eigenseries : @rothgar Gross. Glad I didn't accept the offer last year. Sounds like I would have regretted it. Brian Graf / @thebriangraf : I appreciate @rothgar sharing his experience. I saw the writing on the wall in the spring and have yet to share my reasons for leaving AWS. They are valid reasons and things I was seeing were not good. Buckle up for 2024.... @_avahgar_ : Seems “DevOps” is expensive even for AWS now. All other chumps yapping about it would have a tough time swallowing the harsh & dark truth behind the hoohaa that ran for a decade. Don't worry..the next snake oil, “platform engg”, is already on! 😆😂🤣 [image] Lord Steven Phillips / @steveeypips : @rothgar You mean I didn't enjoy the idea of being forced into the office to “be with my team” all of whom were across the Atlantic... And when I got to the office had to fight for one of 24 desks in my 250 person org? 🤪 (I took asked for severance and was told nope!) @quorumneeded : @rothgar Yep, pretty much completely tracks with what I'd expected was happening behind the scenes. Shame the leadership is of such poor quality, as evidenced by the lack of vision in this moment. Cost cutting to manage terminal decline, what a shame. Susan Potter / @susanpotter : @yevrahjleinad I just read this and thought, “ffs, more numbskullery in big tech.” Enjoy (unless you work at AWS). https://justingarrison.com/... Mike Julian / @mike_julian : Really great article and echoes a lot of what @QuinnyPig and I see from the outside too. It's a real shame this is how it's going. 😢 Nick Hudkins / @nickhudkins : @rothgar Incredibly astute summary of what's eating me alive going to work every day Vaughan Reid / @vaughan_in_aus : @rothgar I joined AWS in 2022 in a fully remote role. The way they did RTO at the beginning of the year was really poor. No one could tell me if I was affected. Eventually after months they said I had to return because I was within range of an office. It did seem intentional. Justin Garrison / @rothgar : Amazon's RTO policy is bad for your business https://justingarrison.com/... @l1quid1ty : few. I thought I was the only one thinking about it all last year. Buy the stock and leave Amazon. Andy got it covered 😤🙄 https://justingarrison.com/... [image] Colin Barrett / @cbarrett : This is what it's like to work in tech these days; god help you if you're like me and on the job market @nikovirtala : @rothgar I had to like it because there is no dislike button. You gave me quite a bit to think about ... if Amazon cannot “afford” DevOps how can anyone else? AJ Stuyvenberg / @astuyve : This type of management demonstrates that Amazon is no longer striving to be Earth's Best Employer. Dissolve the team, offer internal transfers (with equal pay & title), or provide strong references with generous severance and part ways. Anything less is disingenuous at best. Chris Williams / @mistwire : This isn't the first time I've heard this in 2023... but it is the first time it was worded so well ⤵️ Sathya Pandalai / @satpandalai : Teams can't keep innovating when they're just trying to keep the lights on. https://justingarrison.com/... LinkedIn: Justin Garrison : Amazon's RTO is bad for your business. — If you don't believe me, just search LinkedIn or X for the number of people who've left in 2023. … Forums: Hacker News : Amazon's Silent Sacking
Context & Ripple Effects
The allegation comes after Amazon publicly planned an additional 9,000 cuts concentrated in AWS and other businesses, making it part of a broader period of workforce reduction rather than an isolated personnel dispute. The earlier AWS-focused cuts provide the relevant backdrop for claims that role changes may be used to manage headcount.
It also lands against AWS’s strategic importance to customers: prior coverage characterized the platform as easy to adopt but hard to leave. That customer lock-in dynamic raises the stakes of any sustained disruption to experienced AWS teams, even though this report does not establish such disruption.
First-order effects
- If the allegations are accurate, affected AWS employees face a choice between relocating or accepting a different role and leaving, rather than receiving a conventional severance-backed layoff.
- Amazon could reduce headcount and severance exposure through attrition, while teams losing remote or specialized staff may face immediate knowledge-transfer and retention pressure.
Second-order effects
- The reported practice could make internal mobility less credible to employees, increasing voluntary departures among workers who can find alternatives and making retention harder for AWS managers.
- For AWS customers, the near-term concern is not a proven service impact but potential continuity risk if experienced operators and product staff exit faster than teams can replace their knowledge.
Third-order effects
- If redeployment and strict location mandates become a repeatable substitute for formal layoffs, workforce reductions may shift from transparent, centralized actions toward attrition-driven restructuring.
- For cloud providers whose customers face high switching costs, labor policy can become part of operational-risk assessment: customers may place greater value on documentation, portability, and vendor staffing continuity.
The trend: This is one data point in a broader shift toward using role design, location policy, and internal mobility as cost-control tools alongside formal tech layoffs.