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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> announced a <keyword id="20724175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="return-to-office" source="keywords">return-to-office</keyword> mandate requiring five days a week in the office from January.</li><li>One employee based in Germany told Business Insider that he plans to continue "<keyword id="20037519" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="coffee-badging" source="keywords">coffee badging</keyword>."</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with an Amazon worker in Germany who spoke anonymously to protect their privacy. Their identity and employment have been verified by Insider. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Amazon notified all employees on Monday about the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-return-to-office-mandate-5-days-week-2024-9">new return-to-office mandate</a> requiring us to come into the office five days a week from January. My entire team was very shocked and worried. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-workers-blast-strict-rto-mandate-five-days-week-2024-9">Some people want to leave the company</a>. This is a betrayal to many people, especially those who were hired as <keyword id="21086606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-workers" source="keywords">remote workers</keyword>, and it is eroding our trust. Before Amazon made the announcement this week, I already had a feeling that a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rto-faq-document-spells-out-new-rule-2024-9">stricter return-to-office mandate</a> was coming in 2025. That's because the leadership had made it very clear that this was the direction they were going to take through the last mandate, and in the last few months, things have become much stricter. In Germany, Amazon started enforcing the mandate that requires us to be in the office three days a week in June, but unlike in the US, we aren't <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-enforces-new-office-hours-rule-targets-coffee-badging-compliance-2024-7">required to come in for a certain number of hours</a> a day. People are still trying to adjust to the last return-to-office push. I live very close to the office, so I'm not personally so worried about having to do another two days in the office because I can just <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workers-still-coffee-badging-office-returning-home-linkedin-poll-2024-7">come in and swipe my badge</a>, stay for 15 minutes, and go back, so we still have some flexibility. I think the return to office policy is being used as a tool to carry out silent layoffs, as I've seen many bright engineers leave the company after the last mandate. People are definitely terrified about what this will mean for them. A few colleagues have contacted me and told me they are considering leaving the company, even going to lower-paying jobs. Having a flexible remote working policy did not have a big impact on productivity. If you create an atmosphere of growth and drive people, they will always deliver, regardless of where they work. I think this has been sufficient as long as people do their jobs to their best. I see the value in coming together occasionally and brainstorming, but outside that, it's unnecessary to always work from the office. The new mandate will be difficult for many people who moved away from the office during the pandemic, have childcare commitments, or experience social anxiety and are now forced to come into the office. Apart from the RTO announcement, I found out in the news that Amazon <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fewer-managers-leaked-document-2024-9" target="_blank">plans to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers</a> at least 15% by the end of next year's first quarter. It was a surprise because we already have a resource crunch. We have fewer people doing a lot more work, which has meant that I, and some other employees, have felt unhappy. Now with Amazon wanting to reduce the head count going forward, it will make things very difficult for employees. In many teams, there are between eight and 12 people managed by one person; ideally, it would be six people under one manager. This means some managers are already overburdened, which will only worsen. Cutting <keyword id="23230284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="middle-managers" source="keywords">middle managers</keyword> is going to impact everyone, because one manager overseeing so many people means that you don't have enough time to have conversations around career development, you can't work on innovation, or on stakeholder engagement. The consensus among other Amazon employees I've spoken to is that they plan to leave when the economy and job market improve. They are already frustrated and under a lot of stress, and the new RTO policy and job cut plans are only increasing the tension. I think other Big Tech companies will follow Amazon's suit and require employees to return to the office five days a week, too. A spokesperson for Amazon told Business Insider that they observed that being in the office together makes it easier for employees to learn, model, collaborate, and be better connected to one another. They added that the return-to-office guidance is an effort to strengthen its culture. Correction: September 18, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misdescribed Amazon's plan to cut managers. It plans to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% by the end of next year's first quarter, not cut 15% of middle managers. Are you a tech worker with insight to share? Contact the reporter, Jyoti Mann, via the encrypted messaging app Signal (jyotimann.11) or email (jmann@businessinsider.com) from a nonwork device.

I work at Amazon and I plan on 'coffee badging' instead of working from the office 5 days a week 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Google leaders tried to assuage fears that it will follow Amazon's new strict RTO mandate.</li><li>Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai warned that staff must remain productive at home.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-fast-growing-new-business-subscriptions-2024-9">Google</a> has no immediate plans to order employees back to the office five days a week, leaders told staff in a town hall meeting last month, assuaging fears among staff that the company might follow <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rto-faq-document-spells-out-new-rule-2024-9">Amazon's new RTO mandate</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-workers-blast-strict-rto-mandate-five-days-week-2024-9">Amazon</a> announced last month that staff would be expected to return to the office five days a week, a shock decision that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-workers-blast-strict-rto-mandate-five-days-week-2024-9">caused backlash</a> among some workers. It also raised concern among employees at some of Amazon's more hybrid-friendly rivals, including Google, where staff are expected in the office just three days a week.At Google's most recent <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-ai-dodge-tough-questions-tgif-meetings-2024-8">"TGIF" (Thank God It's Friday)</a> all-hands, remote work was top of mind for staff. One of the most popular questions submitted asked whether, in light of Amazon's announcement, Google could reaffirm its commitment to hybrid work, according to two employees who watched the meeting. John Casey, Google's vice president of global compensation and benefits, told employees that although nothing was changing and that the current system worked well, the company believed being in the office at least three days a week was important, according to the two employees, whose identities Business Insider confirmed and who asked to remain anonymous because they're not authorized to speak to the press.Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai added that it was important staff remained as productive on days they work from home in order for the company to keep its policy flexible.A Google spokesperson confirmed the comments made by Pichai and Casey, but did not add further comment.<h2 id="f813705b-f3cd-429f-aaee-de0a88316bea">'Google chases the industry'</h2>Despite leadership's comments, some employees still fear they will eventually be called back to the office full time. During the most recent all-hands, Pichai noted that some employees, such as some of Google's hardware teams, are back four days a week.Google is a famously data-driven company, and any hints of a drop in productivity could be a reason to bring workers back in person.Yet some research suggests hybrid is best. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hybrid-work-from-home-office-culture-remote-jobs-productivity-happiness-2024-6">A study published in Nature</a> in June concluded that hybrid work boosted job satisfaction and retention without jeapordizing productivity.Still, some companies have already started following Amazon's lead. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/read-memo-dell-sent-staff-rto-5-days-a-week-2024-9">Dell just ordered its sales teams back into the office five days a week</a>, telling employees in a memo that it believes its staff are "more productive" when onsite. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-wont-follow-amazon-rto-unless-productivity-drops-exec-2024-9">Microsoft recently told staff</a> it would remain hybrid but, like Google, would reconsider if productivity drops."People are concerned because Google chases the industry," said one Google employee, who said they felt the company's leaders are "great at changing their minds." Another said that the comments in the recent all-hands, while somewhat reassuring, didn't preclude a change in policy down the road.Google has in recent months become stricter on sending nudges to employees who aren't hitting the three-day average, according to an employee with direct knowledge of the changes.The company has moved to hot-desking in some offices, and some locations have been piloting a new type of hot-desking workspace — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/video/series/open-office/inside-googles-21-billion-office-in-a-transformed-freight-terminal/8BF2DFB4-80B4-4B6F-91DA-6FE3D884CDD8">which it calls "neighborhoods"</a> — with moveable desks and modular meeting rooms.Shortly after Amazon announced its RTO mandate, one employee shared a meme on Google's internal meme generator. It edited a scene from The Simpsons, with character Kirk Van Houten asking, "So you want me to sit at my desk five days a week?" and his boss responding, "I don't recall saying you would get a desk."Are you a current or former Google employee with more insight to share? Got a tip? You can contact this reporter securely on Signal at hughlangley.01 or email at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:hlangley@businessinsider.com">hlangley@businessinsider.com</a>. Use a nonwork device.

Google tells employees it won't follow Amazon's strict RTO policy — as long as they stay productive

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Siddharth Kashiramka joined Amazon in 2022 as a product manager for AI projects.</li><li>Looking back, he thought his résumé highlighted his impact — but he would not write in the third-person now.</li></ul>Siddharth Kashiramka was six years into his post-Masters career when he began considering his next move.He worked as a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/product-manager-shares-resume-cisco-consulting-pivot-big-tech-interview-2024-10">product manager</a> at Capital One and was previously a consultant at PwC. Some of his colleagues had gone to Amazon, but he didn't want to uproot his life from Virginia to Seattle. Then he was approached to work with artificial intelligence at Amazon — no move required.To prepare for his interview, Kashiramka networked with contacts who had made a similar transition and spent a month practicing for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-meta-product-manager-prepares-big-tech-interview-questions-manager-2024-8">interviews</a>, doing mock sessions on a career service platform.After several rounds of interviews, Kashiramka landed a product management role at Amazon in 2022. The role came with about $300,000 in annual compensation, a mix of base salary and stock options.As a hiring manager, Kashiramka said that while résumés are a small part of the overall hiring process, they can still be an important decision-making tool."I remember an instance where there were two equally good candidates for a position. Both of them cleared the final round of interviews, but the offer had to be given to only one," Kashiramka said. "Ultimately, the decision hinged on the candidate with the most polished résumé."Here is the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/resumes-that-got-big-tech-jobs-google-meta-salesforce-engineer-2024-10">résumé </a>he used to apply to Amazon and other Big Tech companies. It wasn't perfect — he told Business Insider he would change three major components.Looking back on the résumé, he said three things work well:1. Talk about impact: He gives a high-level description of past roles, followed by his work and its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-job-resume-tips-machine-learning-specialist-career-switch-2024-4">impact</a>.2. Summarize: "The summary is very unique to me," he said. "You can't copy-paste it to someone else." In the future, he would also add a short section talking about his external mentorship efforts and academic journal contributions, which he has been doing more actively since 2022.3. Show variety: Throughout the résumé, Kashiramka used a range of keywords, including "leveraged," "delivered," "established," and "collaborated." "Unintentionally this also optimizes for the ATS systems as well," he said about the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-linkedin-to-find-new-job-keywords-comparison-2024-4">application tracking systems </a>that digitally parse résumés for keywords.<h2 id="e9b92dc1-9e86-4167-9df1-181f2621cf76">What he would change</h2>While the résumé got him interviews at Meta, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/resume-tips-google-software-engineer-skills-experience-careers-software-tech-2024-3">Amazon, and Google, </a>there are still a few things he would change moving forward:1. One page résumé: "I think the résumé should be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/resume-too-long-how-to-fix-it-job-search-2024-9">one page,</a>" he said about keeping the document short. "That was a big red flag for me here in this résumé." Kashiramka added that his résumés for PwC and Capital One, where he worked before Amazon, were both one page, and he would return to that length in the future.2. Use first-person voice: Kashiramka said another mistake was writing about himself in the third person because it sounds less personal. "It seems very pompous, to be honest," he said. "I'm like: 'Who am I talking about here?'"3. Attention to detail: "I have made a few grammatical mistakes in this," he said. He recommends using a proofreading tool and getting another set of human eyes on the document.Kashiramka said that while there were grammatical errors, he was careful to be consistent in formatting, such as not using periods anywhere.Kashiramka is a senior product manager at Amazon's office in Crystal City, Virginia. Business Insider has verified his employment history and compensation.

A product manager shares the résumé that got him a $300,000 job at Amazon — and 3 regrets about it, including writing that sounds 'very pompous'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon's new bargain grocery brand suggests shoppers will be pinching pennies for a while.</li><li>While things aren't worsening significantly for low-income people, they aren't improving quickly.</li></ul>Following the lead of grocery retailers like Walmart and Target, Amazon has <a target="_blank" href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/2024/9/amazon-fresh-introduces-new-grocery-savings-for-prime-members">introduced</a> a new bargain-priced private-label food brand "to help grocery budgets go further."But while the announcement, along with one about expanded savings for Prime members at the company's Fresh grocery stores and online, seems a boon for shoppers, it also suggests there will be no let-up for a while for money-stressed American consumers.Recent earnings from Walmart and Target were bright spots in an otherwise challenging consumer landscape, but weaker results from dollar stores indicate that lower-income households, in particular, aren't in great financial shape.And though government data showed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-august-consumer-price-index-federal-reserve-rate-cuts-2024-9">inflation continuing to cool in August</a>, many key prices remain high as increases over the past couple of years stay locked in.In other words, although the picture isn't getting significantly worse for American shoppers, it's not exactly improving quickly.Amazon's new "no-frills brand," Amazon Saver, leans into a trend that Target has tapped recently with its Dealworthy line of products, while Walmart's long-established Great Value brand is bought by 86% of households, according to Numerator data.Roughly a quarter of shoppers <a target="_blank" href="https://www.numerator.com/consumer-sentiment/">surveyed</a> by Numerator say they buy store brands as a way to save money.Private-label groceries have been a source of some relief for customers as retailers have been able to bring prices down more quickly compared to national brands. Big names are paying attention, though — PepsiCo recently admitted the company's profit-taking <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snack-prices-may-fall-after-years-of-inflation-pepsico-said-2024-7">may have gone a bit too far</a>.Still, the clock is ticking for more substantial fixes.Dollar General CEO Ted Vasos said about 30% of respondents to a company survey have maxed out at least one of their credit cards, while 25% expect to miss a bill payment in the next six months."The majority of them state that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-general-shows-how-bad-economy-is-for-some-shoppers-2024-8">they feel worse off financially</a> than they were six months ago," he said.Prime members (who can afford the monthly fee) may find Amazon's moves welcome news. But retailers and customers are likely to continue to have to make more room on their shelves for private label brands until the economic picture improves.

Amazon's new budget line of food products suggests things aren't getting better for the American shopper

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Matt Wood, VP of AI at Amazon Web Services, is leaving after 15 years.</li><li>Wood's departure comes amid fierce AI competition from Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI.</li></ul>Matt Wood, VP artificial intelligence at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-could-cut-managers-save-3-billion-analysts-2024-10">Amazon</a> Web Services, is leaving.In a Linkedin post on Wednesday, Wood wrote that he is stepping away from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ai-sales-machine-aws-google-microsoft-pressure-pay-speed-2024-9">AWS</a> after 15 years at the company. He didn't share why or where he's headed next."It has been an extraordinary journey to be part of a team that has fundamentally transformed how businesses operate, grow, and innovate," Wood wrote.Wood has been one of AWS's most high-profile executives, often speaking on stage at public events. He worked on AWS's machine learning and AI technology, laying some of the groundwork for the company's latest growth initiatives.Amazon's spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment.Wood's departure is taking place at a time of intense competition in the AI space. Even though Amazon has worked on AI technology for years, the company has so far failed to draw as much attention as competing products from Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI. Some of its key products, like the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-q-ai-early-challenges-aws-chatbot-2024-9">Q chatbot</a> and AI chips, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-nvidia-aws-ai-chip-dominance-gpu-trainium-inferentia-2024-5">are seeing mixed results</a>.It's also the latest executive turnover at AWS. In May, AWS replaced its CEO, Adam Selipsky, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-matt-garman-aws-ceo-bulldozer-ai-competition-growth-2024-5">Matt Garman</a>. AWS CFO Richard Puccio, CMO Rachel Thornton, and VP of data center Chris Vonderhaar are among the top leaders who also left in the past 2 years.Wood hinted in his Linkedin post that he is likely joining another company."I'm excited to continue bringing reinvention, transformation, and the future to more organizations in my next role (more to come on that; stay tuned)," he wrote.Do you work at Amazon? Got a tip?Contact the reporter, Eugene Kim, via the encrypted-messaging apps Signal or Telegram (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link">+1-650-942-3061</a>) or email (<a target="_blank" href="mailto:ekim@businessinsider.com">ekim@businessinsider.com</a>). Reach out using a nonwork device. Check out Business Insider's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-guide-to-securely-sharing-whistleblower-information-about-powerful-institutions-2021-10">source guide</a> for other tips on sharing information securely.

One of Amazon's top AI executives is out

<ul><li>An X user says she has a friend in <keyword id="19895622" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Microsoft" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Microsoft" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> who works 15-20 hours per week</li><li>The employee plays <keyword id="20303301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="League-of-Legends" source="keywords">League of Legends</keyword> for most of the time</li><li>The user's post has over 2 million views</li></ul> Every person has a unique working style. While one employee could take hours in finishing a job, other could complete the same task in much lesser time. And in the recent times, ever since debates about <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">work-life balance</keyword> have taken centre stage, many people are talking about how being productive has nothing to do with the number of hours an employee puts in to complete a job. An X user, in a recent post, shared that she has a friend working at Microsoft who works for only 15-20 hours per week and plays League (of Legends) for the rest of the time. The post has now gone viral and people are dropping a mix of hilarious and serious comments. While one user asked if there are any openings, another commented that as long as the work is getting done, this shouldn’t be a problem. <h2>X user’s viral post </h2> In the post, the user wrote, “talking to my friend who works at microsoft &amp; apparently he works 15-20 hr weeks &amp; plays league the rest of the time &amp; gets paid $300k for it” The post, at the time of writing this story, has 2 million views. As mentioned already, people are reacting to the news and are wondering if they too, can land such a job. “What are the reqs for this job and any open positions?,” a user wrote while another commented, “Dream job lol I'd love 20 hours a week over 40 so much.” Other users, meanwhile, mentioned that there’s nothing wrong with this if the person can complete the task assigned to them. “If they can do the same work in 20 hours that someone else doing the same job would need 40 to achieve — then I don't see the issue,” a user said. Another user wrote, “Most CEOs would love a person who got results and hit the mark - no matter how many or few hours they work.” Another user was all praises for League of Legends players and said, “I’ve met so many people like that... in league... they always seem very smart though, and are very high rank... so maybe they're 10x engineering gods who don't need to work a lot like us peasants” <h2><keyword id="22902800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-employee" source="keywords">Amazon employee</keyword> who gets paid to do nothing </h2> This isn’t the first time that a techie has been in the limelight for getting paid more to do less. Last month, an <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> worker was making headlines for saying that he gets paid Rs 3 crore a year for practically doing nothing. The employee, who has been with Amazon for a year and a half, shared his story on Blind, an anonymous platform. They revealed that after being laid off from <keyword id="19902762" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google" source="keywords">Google</keyword>, they joined Amazon with a deliberate intention to do as little work as possible while still drawing a significant paycheque. The strategy, the employee claims, involved performing the bare minimum necessary to avoid raising any red flags with his managers. "I joined Amazon 1.5 years ago after being laid off from Google," the employee wrote and added, ”My goal was simple: do nothing, collect a salary, and eventually get placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).”

'Microsoft employee gets $300,000 for working 15-20 hours a week’: X user’s post goes viral

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon is testing news with a Brian Williams election-night special on Prime Video.</li><li>The special touts more than a dozen contributors like James Carville and Shepard Smith.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon">Amazon</a> is getting closer to jumping into news coverage with an election-night special hosted by Brian Williams."Election Night Live with Brian Williams" will air on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-video-preview-shake-up-tv-ad-marketplace-2024-1">Prime Video</a> at 5 p.m. ET on November 5. It will feature more than a dozen journalists and contributors, including political consultant James Carville, former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, and comedian Baratunde Thurston.Williams' longtime producer, Jonathan Wald, shared plans for the upcoming special in an interview with Business Insider and emphasized it would take a nonpartisan approach."We don't encourage both side-ism," said Wald, who will executive produce the special. "We have a fairly clear mandate and that's to report what's happening as it's happening. When you do speculate, make it clear you're operating from a point of view."He said that in a highly divided country, striking a down-the-middle tone should give participants more credibility to call things as they see them. He also stressed that the event wouldn't shy away from fact-checking or calling out a candidate who misspeaks or makes an egregious statement. The program won't strive to call races before others, but instead take cues from established news networks."Election Night Live" is a gamble for Amazon, which has no history in news. A one-off news program is in keeping with its strategy of getting into live event programming like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jay-marine-leading-amazon-sports-ambitions-nba-rights-2024-3">sports</a> and live shopping, though. It's the type of programming that has the potential to reach big audiences and advertisers, especially those with time-sensitive product launches willing to pay high prices to reach them. Amazon will use its site — which Comcore said had 236.9 million unique US visitors in June — and this week's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-nfl-thursday-night-football-advertising-strategy-new-brands-2023-9">NFL "Thursday Night Football"</a> programming to drive viewers to the special.Details of the special <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-brian-williams-deal-tv-news-details-2024-9">began leaking several weeks ago</a>. It will be offered in English in most countries where Prime Video is available, regardless of whether viewers have a Prime subscription, which should vastly expand its potential reach. Some mainstream news outlets have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/media/new-york-times-trump-coverage-backlash/index.html">faced backlash</a> over political coverage in an increasingly polarized time. Amazon founder <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/washington-post-donald-trump-kamala-harris-endorsement-bezos-why-matters-2024-10">Jeff Bezos</a> was pulled into political controversy in recent days after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/washington-post-staff-revolt-presidential-endorsement-2024-10">The Washington Post</a>, which he owns, announced it wouldn't endorse a candidate for president.Wald said Amazon played no role in deciding the format or approach of the election special.Williams is a low-risk choice of host for Amazon. He was the longtime anchor of "NBC Nightly News" who was suspended after <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/television-general-news-cc7406ac774a408dab5409cf6048fcd6">embellishing some details of a helicopter ride in Iraq</a>. He had another act hosting "The 11th Hour" on MSNBC from 2016 until 2021. Overall, he spent 28 years with NBC."He's the right choice because of a number of factors, not the latest of which is, it's one of the things he does best," Wald said. "I don't think there's a YouTuber or X host or Instagrammer who could do a better job of keeping track of everything that happens with dignity and grace and fairness and do it in a down-the-middle way that's entertaining."Along with familiar TV personalities, viewers will see some interactive elements and an emphasis on reporters from digital news outlets including Puck, Axios, and Politico (which shares a parent with Business Insider)."We're putting them all together as a de facto affiliate network," Wald said. "That's where the action is editorially. They're often first to break news. We want to leverage that."

Brian Williams' executive producer dishes on Amazon's leap into live news

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon just launched Haul, a section on the app that sells cheap stuff.</li><li>It's a move to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-has-a-plan-to-thwart-its-cheap-chinese-rivals-2024-6">fend off competition from Temu</a> and others.</li></ul>Let me just say that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-gen-x-boomers-love-temu-2024-1">I'm not too good for Temu</a> — I think it's a guilty pleasure and have bought fun things from there. So I came to Amazon's new Temu-like offering — called Haul — with an open mind.I've gotta say, sadly: It's the Temu version of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-temu-chinese-app-amazon-safe-legit-pinduoduo-2023-3">Temu</a>.(Not familiar with that sick burn? Calling something "Temu" has become a common insult in modern internet slang — it's the cheap imitation of the real thing. As in: "Ava Max is Temu Lady Gaga.")This week, Amazon launched <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/affordable-products-amazon-20-dollars-and-under">Haul</a> as a section on its app. (It's not on the browser.) It sells ultra-cheap items shipped directly from China — all for under $20. It's <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=2268ba6446db66ec7a8be56889c432a644f5e46182e6f46a070f5f54d761607c&amp;postID=6734fbf1c711dce4fc7bdb89&amp;postSlug=amazon-haul-temu-shein-compared-which-is-better-worse-2024-11&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theinformation.com%2Farticles%2Famazon-to-launch-temu-like-discount-section-with-direct-shipping-from-china">Amazon's attempt to compete</a> with cheap e-commerce apps like Temu, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-shein-billion-dollar-fast-fashion-company-explained-2023-7">Shein</a>, and the TikTok Shop.Like I said: It's Temu.The problem is the product selection, which isn't really differentiated from Temu — or even a lot from what Amazon already sells on its regular site. Sometimes, the prices are actually a little higher on Haul than on Amazon proper.On Haul, I found categories of stuff I've seen on Chinese e-commerce sites since the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-wish-app">Wish app</a> launched during the Obama administration: makeup sponges, phone cases, workout leggings, small kitchen items, hair scrunchies, and cheap jewelry.<div type="image" title="Amazon Haul" height="1364" width="726" msid="115314175" hostid="261" sizebytes="73718"></div>There's a section for sweaters, and yes, they appear to be sweaters.There's a lot of similarity to the aesthetics of the clothing retailer Shein: oversize, slouchy sweaters modeled over tight jeans by women with long blond <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2024/06/12/utah-curls-are-trending-we-asked/">Utah curls</a>. But Shein has far more trendy items and a much wider selection.Some of the household items on Haul aren't exciting — and are redundant with regular Amazon: A 6-pack of silicone reusable food storage lids on Haul was $3.99. There's a similar item on regular Amazon with two-day shipping for $3.97. (Because stuff on Haul is coming directly from China — and not a US warehouse — its shipping is slower, with an estimated 1-to-2-week delivery timeframe.)I recognized other familiar items, like a replacement silicone band for an Apple Watch, priced at $5.49. A few months ago, I bought a nearly identical version on Amazon for about $10. Sure, I'd be happy to save a few bucks, but the availability of a cheap Apple Watch band isn't novel or exciting.<div type="image" title="amazon haul sweaters" height="543" width="724" msid="115314181" hostid="261" sizebytes="61510"></div>I leave it up to you how you might feel about Temu. There's certainly plenty to consider when shopping there, like concerns over <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/temu-blamed-shoppers-for-buying-forced-labor-lawmakers-say-2023-6">forced labor</a> that were discussed in a congressional report last year. And there's the general issue of overconsumption. (Young people are teasing their Gen X and boomer parents for becoming "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-roasting-boomers-gen-x-shopping-temu-victims-2024-2">Temu victims"</a>.)But having spent a fair amount of time on Temu and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-gen-x-boomers-love-temu-2024-1">hearing directly from lots of our readers</a> about what they buy on there, something that makes it stand out is that it has all sorts of whimsical things you didn't know you needed. When you open the app, you don't see the same cheap rubber phone cord clips you see everywhere else — you find strange, new, cheap delights. In my opinion, Temu's greatest strength is its variety of new products — not just the bargain bin prices.A representative for Amazon told Business Insider that it plans to expand Haul's product selection in the coming weeks. It's in "beta" mode right now, so maybe it'll feel fresher and more interesting soon. But for now, to me, it just feels like a sort of crummy version of Temu.

Amazon's new discount section 'Haul' looks like a Temu version of Temu

<ul class="summary-list"><li>California fined Amazon $5.9 million, saying it failed to inform employees about work quotas.</li><li>A state law requires written quota details to prevent pressure and injuries among workers.</li></ul>California's Department of Industrial Relations announced Tuesday it had fined Amazon more than $5.9 million, saying the e-commerce giant had violated labor laws that require companies to inform <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-warehouse">warehouse employees</a> of any quotas they must follow.According to the state's Warehouse Quotas law, which went into effect in January 2022, those quotas must be provided to workers in written form. They could include things like the number of tasks employees are expected to perform in an hour and any potential consequences they could face if they do not meet expectations.The fines center on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fulfillment-center">Amazon's fulfillment centers</a> in Moreno Valley and Redlands, where the state Labor Commissioner's Office found 59,017 violations between October 20, 2023, and March 9, 2024, it said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2024/2024-46.html">press release</a>."The peer-to-peer system that Amazon was using in these two warehouses is exactly the kind of system that the Warehouse Quotas law was put in place to prevent," California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower said in the release. "Undisclosed quotas expose workers to increased pressure to work faster and can lead to higher injury rates and other violations by forcing workers to skip breaks."Amazon spokesperson Maureen Lynch Vogel told Business Insider the company disagrees with the allegations and has appealed the fine. She added that Amazon does not have fixed quotas."Individual performance is evaluated over a long period of time, in relation to how the entire site's team is performing. Employees can — and are encouraged to — review their performance whenever they wish," she said. "They can always talk to a manager if they're having trouble finding the information."Lynch Vogel also provided a link to an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-fulfillment-centers-employee-safety-well-being">Amazon blog post</a> that describes how it manages the performance of fulfillment center employees, including its communication of work expectations and its use of robots to improve worker safety.Amazon operates a vast network of fulfillment centers where workers pick and pack orders before they are sent out to customers. Some are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/facilities">as large as 1 million square feet</a> and employ more than 1,000 workers. The company has attracted the attention of regulators over allegations of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-warehouse-raises-workers-leaked-documents-2022-10">low pay</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-warehouse-managers-pressure-email-complaint-scrutiny-metrics-2022-1">stressful working conditions,</a> and in 2022, workers at the company's fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-warehouse-new-york-staten-island-alu-union-nlrb-vote-2022-4">voted to unionize</a>.

Amazon was fined nearly $6 million over claims it violated a worker productivity law in California 

The Covid-19 pandemic drastically changed the way we work, with <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword> quickly becoming the new normal. Employees across the globe adapted to working from home, enjoying newfound flexibility and a better <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">work-life balance</keyword>. And for a long time, we all thought that this was the new world and going to the office every day would be a thing of the past. However, as pandemic restrictions eased, many companies began rolling back these remote policies, pushing employees to return to the office. Tech giant <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> recently ended remote work for its employees and told them to come to office five days a week, just like how it used to be before the pandemic. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, in a blog post, said that working from offices has its benefits and therefore all employees will have to start coming to work the entire week. He added that even though they will permit work from home in case of emergencies (taking care of your sick kid, running emergency errands etc), remote work will no longer be the norm. <h2>Companies are calling employees back to offices</h2>Amazon isn’t the only company that has implemented the <keyword id="20007258" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rto" source="keywords">RTO</keyword> (<keyword id="20408795" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="return-to-office" source="keywords">return to office</keyword>) mandate. Companies like <keyword id="19945574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wipro" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Wipro" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Wipro">Wipro</keyword>, TCS, X (earlier called Twitter) and Infosys also require employees to be there in office for at least three days a week. While X boss <keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> had once asked those seeking work from home to “get off of their moral high horse,” Infosys CEO N. R. Narayana Murthy had made headlines for saying that workers in India should work 70 hours per week. In wake of Amazon’s recent RTO mandate, many young professionals are reacting strongly on the internet. While some feel that the RTO mandate will hamper their productivity, others feel that it is simply unnecessary. And then there are also some people who think that this is a good decision. Let us take a look at how people are reacting on being called back to offices. <h2>How are people reacting?</h2>Social media sites like Reddit, X, and LinkedIn are full of reactions on the RTO mandate. Many employees feel that this will increase their cost and time spent on commute. Amazon’s recent decision to bring its employees back to offices has not sat well with many, especially those accustomed to the <keyword id="20445439" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hybrid-work-model" source="keywords">hybrid work model</keyword>. On LinkedIn, Samrat Bhardwaj, who has previously interned with Amazon India, questioned the rationale behind the shift, asking whether the company truly considered employee well-being or was more focused on its own benefits. He also voiced concerns over the increased cost in case employees think of moving closer to tech hubs. He also added that if people start living at a distance from tech parks, rent will be lower, but you'll be wasting a lot of time to and fro from the office every day. On the other hand, Erin Mantz, a former Meta and Amazon employee, pointed out the stark difference between previous work norms and the flexibility of today's workforce in a LinkedIn post. “Gen Xers, for decades, used to have to go in every day... no working from home, no midday walks or being home for the dishwasher repairman,” she said, reflecting on how work-life balance has evolved. She concluded that the shift back to in-office work might not align with modern expectations, suggesting that today’s workforce has experienced a better way of working. <h2>“Working in the parking lot isn’t a bad idea”</h2>People aren’t just concerned about the increased cost and wastage of time in commute. Some also pointed out the irony of commuting to the office only to continue working in their cars due to a lack of proper space and resources. One Reddit user said, “Genuinely had no idea how bad RTO would be until it hit. I'm as unproductive as ever and half my work is done in the parking lot at this point for these exact reasons. Going back to the office isn't the end of the world, but when there's zero space or even disability accommodation for the employees? Unacceptable, especially considering the ones who usually enforce the arrangements all have their own private offices with the best gear their department offers.” Another user, Oracle-2050, quipped that working from their car was a makeshift solution, noting, "At least I can attend Teams meetings and make phone calls." The absurdity of the situation was highlighted by yet another commenter who sarcastically remarked, “Only in clown world would a worker drive to the office in order to do work in their car.” Another user pointed out that the decision-makers pushing these mandates “all have their own private offices with the best gear their department offers,” leaving regular employees to struggle in far less conducive work environments. <h2>The “Fake work” problem </h2> Annie Dean, who earlier used to work as Director of Remote Work at Facebook, took a critical stance on LinkedIn, highlighting that return-to-office mandates don’t address the core problem which is “Fake work.” This term, popularised by Airbnb’s Brian Chesky, refers to tasks that feel like work but don’t actually create value for the business. Dean explained in her post that employees are drowning in endless meetings and messages, which detract from productivity. She argued that instead of mandating office attendance, companies like Amazon should focus on “pioneering new, more efficient modes of work.” This argument has resonated with many on X as well, where employees have expressed frustration over the return-to-office mandates being viewed as a quick fix. One Twitter/X user remarked that "commuting to do the same virtual meetings in person isn’t solving anything," while others echoed that the core problem lies in work structures, not location. Here are some other reactions on X: <div type="image" title="negative reactions" msid="113528739" hostid="261" sizebytes="64721"></div> <h2>A quiet layoff strategy? </h2> Yet another take on the RTO mandate comes from Jennifer DeLorenzo, a former senior recruiter at Pinterest. She suggested that the move feels like a “quiet layoff strategy.” According to her, by mandating full-time office attendance, companies may be hoping for a wave of resignations without having to deal with the negative press of formal layoffs. “This tactic allows them to reduce headcount while avoiding the negative optics of layoffs,” DeLorenzo wrote on LinkedIn, adding that it may backfire as hiring becomes challenging again when the economy shifts. Many others seemed to agree with her view. On Reddit too, there are many people talking about how companies might be carrying out soft layoffs by implementing an RTO mandate. Her comments tapped into a broader conversation on how companies may be using return-to-office mandates to indirectly reduce their workforce. Other social media users pointed out similar trends across industries, where companies tighten office attendance policies to nudge employees toward leaving voluntarily. <h2>Some mixed reactions too </h2> While the return-to-office mandates are frustrating for many, not all reactions are negative. Some employees, particularly newer hires, see value in the traditional office setting. Bhardwaj, for example, also noted that going to the office is beneficial for freshers who want to learn. “I do believe that going to the office makes you learn a lot as freshers,” he wrote in his post, suggesting that for those early in their careers, the in-person experience might be crucial for growth and networking. Some users on X too seemed to be in support of this mandate. Here’s a look: <div type="image" title="mixed-reactions" msid="113528718" hostid="261" sizebytes="77770"></div> This duality reflects the ongoing debate around the future of work. On one hand, companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta are focusing on building stronger in-office teams, believing that physical presence fosters better collaboration, innovation, and mentoring. On the other hand, employees, especially those who experienced the benefits of remote work during the pandemic, are pushing back against these mandates, valuing the flexibility and improved work-life balance that working from home provides. As companies continue to adjust their RTO policies, the tension between employee expectations and corporate strategies is likely to persist. However, one thing is clear — the future of work is still being negotiated, and both sides are making their voices heard across the internet.

'I'm unproductive, this is not the real solution': Internet reacts as Amazon, Wipro and others call employees back to office

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aws">Amazon</a> is anchoring a $500 million financing round for X-energy to develop modular nuclear reactors.</li><li>The first sites in Washington and Virginia would provide carbon-free energy to meet growing demand.</li></ul>Big Tech continues to go nuclear as the artificial intelligence boom drives energy demand to new heights.Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is anchoring a $500 million investment for X-energy to develop small advanced modular nuclear reactors, which will provide carbon-free power for some of its data centers.Amazon's AWS, which provides cloud services to clients, including generative AI products, relies on large data centers that require huge amounts of energy to operate.Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, as well as affiliates of Ares Management Corporation, NGP, and the University of Michigan, are among the investors in the Series C-1 financing round."We need smart solutions that can help us meet growing energy demands while also addressing climate change," Amazon's vice president of global data centers, Kevin Miller, said in a statement. "X-energy's technology will be integral in helping achieve this, and is an important step in Amazon's work to achieve our Climate Pledge commitment to be net-zero by 2040."The companies said their partnership aims to develop more than 5 gigawatts of new power projects across the US by 2039.The first sites in Washington and Virginia would provide carbon-free energy to meet growing demand through partnerships with Energy Northwest and Dominion Energy, respectively.Using clusters of 80-megawatt reactors, the first installation in Washington will begin with four units generating 320 megawatts of power, with the option to scale up to 12 units that deliver 960 megawatts. The highest carbon-emitting coal-powered plants generate roughly 2,000 to 4,000 megawatts, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/the-top-10-emitting-power-plants-in-america/">according</a> to Politico's E&amp;E News.Amazon's investment follows similar interest in nuclear from Microsoft and Google as the tech giants seek out clean energy to fuel foundation AI development for large language models, which require massive amounts of energy.Microsoft last month helped advance a plan to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/three-mile-island-nuclear-plant-reopens-power-microsoft-ai-push-2024-9">reopen the Three Mile Island</a> plant, the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in US history, and Google on Monday <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/google-kairos-power-nuclear-energy-agreement/">announced</a> a partnership in SMR tech with Kairos Power.<div type="image" title="three mile island" height="1328" width="2000" msid="114291452" hostid="261" sizebytes="147418"></div>Earlier this year, Amazon also <a target="_blank" href="https://ir.talenenergy.com/static-files/f02c44a9-d2dc-45c1-9331-eee1495f7d2d">bought</a> a $650 million data center in Pennsylvania that came with a direct line to the nearby nuclear-powered Susquehanna Steam Electric Station.Other proposals in New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas would build data centers adjacent to nuclear plants in order to bypass the power grid, IEEE Spectrum <a target="_blank" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-data-center-nuclear-power">reported</a>.In contrast to a full-scale nulear facility, X-energy says its modular system is "road-shippable" and able to be installed where it is needed."Nuclear is an important source of clean and reliable power that our nation needs to meet the growing demand for energy," Ken Griffin said in a statement. "X-energy provides an impactful solution to a critical challenge – and the support Amazon, Dow, and other major corporations have provided underscores its potential and merit."

Amazon invests in nuclear energy, hot on the heels of Google and Microsoft

The consumers may end up paying more for shopping online on <keyword id="19910508" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon-india" source="keywords">Amazon India</keyword> for certain products as the company is set to revise its seller fee structure from April 7. In a recent notification, the e-commerce behemoth has informed sellers about revised structure that is likely to result in price increase for several items. The last fee revision was in May 2023. The revised structure "does not include the 18 per cent GST that will be levied on the seller fee", according to reports. A seller needs to pay a fee to <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon" source="keywords">Amazon</keyword> for the items sold on the Amazon platform. Among the hiked fee structure, luxury beauty has been increased from 5 per cent to a tiered system that goes up to 10 per cent. Sleepwear category will witness a seller fee hike from 11-15 per cent to 13.5-19 per cent, while the home improvement category will see an increase from 9 per cent to 13.5 per cent). Amazon <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>, however, has also decreased fee for categories such as baby apparel products, inverter and batteries and some others. The company did not immediately comment. The revised seller fee structure is likely to impact companies like <keyword id="19951130" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mamaearth" source="keywords">Mamaearth</keyword> more which do bulk selling of their products on Amazon. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms" target="_blank">OnePlus 12 review: A feature-packed device with promising battery back-up</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/motorola-edge-50-pro-to-launch-in-india-on-april-3-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/108667275.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/motorola-edge-50-pro-to-launch-in-india-on-april-3-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/108667275.cms" target="_blank">Motorola Edge 50 Pro to launch in India on April 3 – Everything we know so far</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/jsw-group-and-saic-motors-jv-jsw-mg-motor-india-set-to-up-production-to-3-lakh-vehicles-a-year-with-a-new-car-every-3-6-months/articleshow/108647799.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/jsw-group-and-saic-motors-jv-jsw-mg-motor-india-set-to-up-production-to-3-lakh-vehicles-a-year-with-a-new-car-every-3-6-months/articleshow/108647799.cms" target="_blank">JSW Group and SAIC Motor’s JV ‘JSW MG Motor India’ set to up production to 3 lakh vehicles a year with a new car every 3-6 months</a>

You Searched For "amazon products" and got 12 results

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IANS

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