Amazon is redesigning employee badges, but not everybody is happy with the new look.
The Seattle Times reported that the Amazon blue badges are being replaced with a new black-and-white design that emphasizes tenure and also features a black background that irks some people who believe the new look is reminiscent of funerary portraits in Asian cultures.
An internal affinity group for Asian employees within Amazon voiced their concerns with the company, which is addressing the feedback, the Times reported. Employees are not required to pick up the new badges.
An Amazon spokesperson did not provide more details about the new badges or the company’s plan going forward when contacted by GeekWire.
The Times noted that badges, a standard employee accessory, feature “next-generation” technology with better security; replace full names with only first names above email handles; and are designed to show tenure more visibly — employees get different colors for being at the company for five, 10, and 15-plus years, respectively.
One year ago, fellow Seattle-area tech giant Microsoft also went through a big badge redesign for employees, with a new look that modernizes the badges and adds Microsoft’s new mission statement to the back: “Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”
