The real reason for RTO is of course tax benefits that Amazon gets from local/state governments only if there are buts in seats in the office buildings (since people coming into the office means they are in the area which means that they spend money in local restaurants/shops, e.t.c)
Are these tax breaks enumerated and tracked somewhere? What departments would be appropriate to receive FOIA requests on the matter?
It's basically the idea that you're being subjected to something outside of your contract that has made it impossible (in your view) to keep working for the company, and the company is not willing to accomodate you.
Refusing to go to office when your contract says you are a remote employee is a textbook case of constructive dismissal.
"You are placing a requirement on me that I find impossible to satisfy and you are not willing to negotiate. Therefore I am forced to resign"
I thought severance packages generally come with some considerations about indemnifying the company and such. Its a deal, not an entitlement.
Forcing an employee to resign is a "Constructive Dismissal" and there's plenty of case law around it.
Large companies tend to give decent exit packages though.
If your local labour laws require compensation in cases of Constructive Dismissal, then you are entitled to some kind of severance package.
If not, then it's possible your employment contract will have a clause for "in case of constructive dismissal we will pay X weeks based on employment length" or something. Maybe not likely, but certainly possible.
RCW 50.20.050 (https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=50.20.050) says you can even quit and get unemployment if among several other items:
> (vii) The claimant's worksite changed, such change caused a material increase in distance or difficulty of travel, and, after the change, the commute was greater than is customary for workers in the claimant's job classification and labor market;