I moved states 5 days before we got the return-to-office order at Amazon, so I quit. I had no idea we'd be forced back into the office.

• Sophia Carter was working as a talent-management specialist at Amazon in Chicago.
• She relocated to Raleigh, NC, five days before Amazon announced its return-to-office order.

This as-told-to is based on a transcribed conversation with Sophia Carter, an ex-Amazon employee. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

As a person with a disability, I started working remotely before the pandemic, after years of stressful in-office experiences.

I've been working remotely since October 2019 and took a sabbatical during the pandemic.

I started my job as an Amazon talent-management specialist in September 2022. When I was hired, Amazon office employees were working remotely.

My team's senior leadership had to fly to different cities for in-person strategic meetings with other senior leaders, but no one else was in the office.

I went into the Chicago office voluntarily for meetings and team bonding six times over six months.

Being in an office environment makes my disability worse

I have a stress-intolerance disorder and work is inherently stressful. My stressors make me both physically and mentally sick. An in-person office environment exacerbates my symptoms.

I've had to be hospitalized multiple times for stress-related illnesses after working in person for more than a couple of months.

Working from home allows me to control my environment and minimize stressors. I can take breaks and reduce the impact of stress on my body.

I can also be my authentic self while working without masking most of the time, which takes a huge mental and physical load off of me.

When I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, there were no rumblings of RTO at Amazon

I was tired of the long, dark, cold winters in Chicago. I wanted a metropolitan location that was warmer, safe, and not too big. Raleigh checked all my boxes. People here are friendly and welcoming.

At that time, Amazon's internal messaging was that we would be remote indefinitely — there were no whispers that RTO was coming, so I felt confident relocating.

I'd spoken to my manager and my skip-level manager about my move months in advance but none of us knew that an RTO order was around the corner.

I never felt like there would be any threat of me having to go into the office anytime soon, if ever. Members of my team lived in different places across the country.

In March, less than a week after I moved, Amazon issued its RTO order. Employees had to be working in the office for a minimum of three days a week from May 1.

My whole team wanted to keep working remotely

Our team's leadership advocated for our team to remain remote since we were spread across the country. Even if we all went to our nearest offices, we still wouldn't have the opportunity to collaborate in person.

Our work involved sensitive employee data, so we couldn't have meetings or calls in a cubicle or open-office floor plan. We'd always need the security and privacy of a private room, so there was another wrench in the RTO.

I'm confident that my leaders did their best to find alternatives and advocate, but they don't have as much power as the C-suite.

I knew I wasn't going back to Chicago or in-person work

I wasn't returning to Chicago or another Amazon hub — it was off the table. Amazon wasn't talking about relocation assistance at the time.

My relocation was expensive and a lot of work. I love Raleigh and I couldn't afford to move again, so returning to a hub was never on the table.

It took me 90 days to find a new remote job

When the RTO message came out, I waited to see what my direct leadership chain would do. Over the next month, it became apparent that all of us would have to submit to it.

Paired with the mass layoffs that were happening nearly every quarter, I didn't feel I had job security.

I started applying for remote jobs in April, which made my search difficult because entirely remote jobs aren't as plentiful as they were in 2020 and competition is tough.

After three months, I received an offer from another Fortune 100 company to work remotely.

Leaving Amazon was a blessing in disguise

It was a blessing in disguise. If Amazon had never announced RTO or layoffs, I would probably still be there.

I like the new job much more and it's a much better match for my skill set and abilities.

My role at Amazon was very task-oriented. Get this done, get that done. My new role is strategic. I get to partner with senior business leaders and determine the talent strategy to make their business strategy a reality.

In response to a request from Insider to comment on Amazon's return-to-office order, a spokesperson for the company said: "We believe that being in the office at least three days a week is the right long-term approach because it drives culture, team connection, innovation, and learning. We also appreciate that there will be exceptions based on an employee's individual circumstances. Insider wouldn't share the information necessary for us to verify this account, however we have processes in place for employees to request exceptions or accommodations, and if an employee is asked to relocate, we provide financial assistance."