Amazon CEO Andy Jassy refutes claims that the 5-day office mandate is a disguised layoff.

• According to CNBC, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated at an all-hands meeting on Tuesday that the recent 5-day in-office mandate is not intended as a "backdoor layoff."
• In January, the company will mandate employees to work in the office full-time, as announced in September.
• Amazon executives have been urged by employees to reconsider their remote work policies in light of criticism from employees regarding the mandate.

Andy Jassy, CEO, refuted rumors that the company's five-day in-office requirement was aimed at cutting staff or satisfying city authorities.

"Jassy stated at an all-hands meeting on Tuesday that he had seen many people speculate that our return to being together more often was due to a backdoor layoff or a deal with the city or cities. However, he clarified that both of these theories are untrue."

In September, Amazon announced a new mandate that requires corporate workers to be in the office at least three days a week. The company's previous return-to-work stance allowed employees to work remotely. Employees have until January 2 to comply with the new policy.

Some Amazon employees have opposed the mandate to return to the office, stating that they are equally productive working from home or in a hybrid work environment. Others believe the mandate aligns with Jassy's ongoing cost-cutting initiatives, suggesting it is a form of enforced attrition. Since the beginning of 2022, Amazon has let go of more than 27,000 employees.

Reuters earlier reported Jassy's comments, but Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

"Jassy stated at the meeting, which took place on Election Day, that this was not a cost-saving measure for us. Instead, he emphasized that it was about enhancing our culture and fortifying it."

When Jassy announced the mandate, he stated that Amazon would be "better equipped to innovate, collaborate, and maintain a strong connection to our culture and each other in order to provide the best possible experience for our customers and the company."

Last month, Amazon's cloud boss Matt Garman defended the company's new policy, stating that staffers who disagree with it can leave. Garman also shared that he has been speaking with staffers about the mandate and nine out of ten people are excited about the change, according to a previous CNBC report.

Garman's comments further rankled Amazon employees.

Last week, over 500 Amazon Web Services staff members wrote a letter to Garman, expressing their dissatisfaction with his comments and challenging the effectiveness of a five-day in-office requirement, as obtained by CNBC.

"The letter urged us to reconsider our stance on the proposed 5-day in-office mandate. Remote and flexible work is an opportunity for Amazon to lead, not pose a threat. We want to work for a company and leaders who recognize and seize this moment to challenge us to reinvent how we work."

The letter contained narratives from AWS employees who shared how the five-day in-office mandate would affect their "personal and professional lives." One staff member disclosed that they were denied a disability accommodation and were instructed to return to the office, while another worker stated that they were recently told to use their paid time off to take care of a sick family member instead of being permitted to work from home. Another staff member revealed that the RTO mandate would necessitate their being in an office "over 200 miles away from my home."

Last year, an internal Slack channel was created with at least 37,000 employees joining to advocate for remote work and share complaints about the return-to-work mandate, as previously reported by CNBC. Employees had previously opposed the 3-day in-office mandate, with some staging a walkout at Amazon's Seattle headquarters to express their dissatisfaction.

Employees will face an adjustment with the five-day in-office mandate, as acknowledged by Jassy on Tuesday.

He acknowledged that many individuals would require adjustment and that they would work through it together.

WATCH: AWS CEO says employees unhappy with 5-day office mandate can leave