How's the work life balance at Amazon?

Top Employee Response

This depends on your team, on your boss and on you. If you join a new team in a new division, expect to roll up your sleeves and put in extra work. If you work in fulfilment, the majority of Amazon, then expect long hours and unusual schedules that include weekends and nights. If you work corporate, then expect 9-5. You may need to put in extra hours depending on the project you are working on, but if you know how to manage your time you should be leaving at a reasonable hour. Finally, some bosses value work/life balance and will encourage thier team to take time for themselves.

I've been an SDE2 for a little over 3 years at Amazon, and over those 3 years, there have only been 5 days total where I've worked more than 8 hours that day, and those 8 hours include lunch. I do not have my work e-mail on my personal phone, so there's no way for me to check or respond to work e-mails on evenings and weekends. I've received positive performance review all 3 years, and my manager is grooming me for an SDE3 promotion.

They will call mandatory 60-hour work weeks without actually having the work in the system to support it. They demand high quality work, but provide middle of the road pay and cap that at three years in role. If you live alone, you will likely need a second job. If you are the sole provider for your family, you will definitely need a second job.

Let me put the t this way, amazon/ aws is the devil. If you are willing to fully sell your soul they will take it. Day one, you must establish your boundaries and keep them as the norm or long days, early morning phone calls and weekend work will become your norm. It's a great place for those whom established their boundaries

Employees Christmas plans are never considered. They close on Christmas day but will call mandatory overtime for the day before and after ruining any type of travel plans one might have. They will also have literally weeks of mandatory overtime during the year without any regard to the employees rest requirements.

Best ever. I have been here for 6 years and had the best work life balance. You manage your deliverables and timelines. We have some long days and some short like any other business. Overall my life at Amazon is super balanced.

I really like a four day, ten hour work week. “Working days” do take a good amount of your time, but three days off in a row every week more than makes up for that.

It depends on how you define that. If work is your life than its fine. If its just a paycheck to do other things you like than its not that great.

It is not great - long hours and weekends are expected. Not a lot have changed since the article published in the NY times, which captures the culture at Amazon.

Surprisingly fantastic. I can come in late, leave early, and work remotely. I'm not sure what else you could ask for but I'm looking (and trying)

I personally work too hard and my time off stinks because i am just too tired to do anything but rest.

It seems like they would rather have us here more than being at home too much mandatory overtime for my liking

I work part-time nights and at this point my life balance is great.

Amazon weighs work life unproportionately more important than personal life and family life

Too much work and not enough life outside of work

The higher you go the less you have.

It's very well balanced and organized

Mandatory overtime takes it toll.