Twitch Stands Apart from Amazon’s New Major Policy

Twitch is reportedly opting out of Amazon’s new significant return to office (RTO) policy, allowing its employees to continue working from home, unlike other companies under the Amazon umbrella.

The return to office policies have created ongoing debate among numerous firms, as many employees have preferred remote work since the upheaval of 2020 necessitated changes in work environments.

Companies such as Apple, Disney, and Activision Blizzard have implemented varying levels of RTO mandates, often leading to protests from their workforce and labor unions.

In a recent announcement, Amazon introduced a new RTO policy mandating that corporate employees return to the office five days a week, starting January 2025.

According to reports, this initiative reflects Amazon’s broader aim to enforce RTO across all its subsidiaries, including Audible and One Medical.

Nevertheless, it appears that Twitch is an exception to this trend, as they will not be adhering to Amazon’s latest policies.

Dan Clancy has indicated that Twitch will be exempt from Amazon’s RTO policy initiative.

As shared by Business Insider, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy disclosed in a leaked internal email that the streaming platform will not comply with the new rules, stating they “do not apply” to them.

“We have a specific exception, and, as I mentioned in last week’s All Hands, we do not have the space to accommodate all employees in our office facilities,” Clancy articulated in the email.

While the exact number of Twitch employees remains unclear, it is evident that the company lacks the office capacity to implement Amazon’s recent plans.

Clancy’s leaked correspondence did not clarify whether Twitch might eventually adhere to the new RTO guidelines should they acquire additional office space.

Earlier in January 2024, Twitch executed a significant layoff, eliminating 500 positions, which constituted 35% of its workforce. This followed an earlier workforce reduction of 400 employees in early 2023.

Post-layoff, Clancy hosted a Q&A stream where he addressed Twitch’s lack of profitability, explaining the necessity behind the layoffs.

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