Amazon employees must now report what percentage of their company-issued phone usage is work-related, with their $50 monthly reimbursements adjusted proportionally based on personal use, according to a new Business Insider investigation into the tech giant’s cost-cutting measures.The phone monitoring is one of the most granular examples of corporate penny-pinching as companies tighten budgets following pandemic-era spending sprees. Sources tell Business Insider that Amazon Web Services employees are required to break down their mobile usage between business and personal activities, with Amazon reducing reimbursements dollar-for-dollar based on non-work usage.

Under CEO Andy Jassy’s “hardcore culture” Amazon is tracking employees’ every move between 9 to 5

The phone tracking is part of CEO Andy Jassy‘s broader “hardcore culture reset” that has transformed Amazon’s workplace policies since he took over from founder Jeff Bezos. Business Insider’s reporting reveals Amazon has also implemented other micromanagement tactics, including requiring retail employees to seek approval for business trips by outlining expected goals and returns, and mandating they itemise meal expenses.The monitoring comes as Amazon enforces strict cost discipline across all operations. In staff meetings, executives repeatedly emphasise frugality, with Jassy asking employees to think “What would I do if this was my money?” when making decisions.Such a granular monitoring is a broader shift in corporate America, where companies are scrutinising employee expenses that were previously handled with blanket policies. Meta, Google, and Microsoft have similarly tightened performance expectations, though few have implemented usage-based reimbursement systems.Amazon employees interviewed by Business Insider complained that cost-cutting measures have “veered into micromanagement,” creating anxiety about job security. The phone monitoring particularly frustrates workers who view company-provided devices as a standard employment benefit rather than a privilege to be measured.An Amazon spokesperson defended the policies as part of returning to the company’s “performance-driven and fast-paced” roots, emphasising that frugality has always been a core company principle.