Mgrs block transfers of engs they don't think meet the performance bar. Apart from official channels to 'block' transfers, they block them by asking other mgrs to not hire you (You're marked as needs-improvement and put on a 'dev-plan' at the sole discretion of the mgrs participating in your OLR process, post which you'd need a VP approval for transfers; you can't contest a 'dev-plan'. Oftentimes You're not even told abt it. When you're told the justifications are vague: You're told the mgrs have got written peer feedbacks, but you're never shown any. You're told you didn't do enough because there weren't enough commits or enough issues resolved depending on which ever metric suits them).

Mgrs treat engs like puppets and engs are okay with it cause the pay rise and sometimes even the job is at stake through this dreadful OLR process. Folks who readily sacrifice their work life harmony are the ones that get the plaudits. This is unsustainable long term, but Amazon doesn't care abt your long term, ironically. It isn't uncommon for "top tier" and "least effective" talent to work for their mgrs on weekends, late nights, be involved in important meetings in different timezones. On several occasions, I've seen engs work on vacations because there was an emergent issue, or because they were due a promotion and couldn't say no.

Mgrs have their favourites and shower them with best possible work, best possible compensation, best perks (like overseas travel to attend conferences, attend re:invent, fly for recruitment drives). In one instance, I saw the pay gap was 3x between equally tenured folks at the same job level. You'd usually find these "top tier" engs defending their mgrs, the work culture, the processes, the policies to death.

The HR department is the worst and complicit in all of this. The new peer feedback system is a hog wash and isn't even considered for OLRs. The promotion process is now less bureaucratic but puts too much power in the hands of the mgrs who decide who should get good enough work and just enough responsibilities to get promoted. OLR process and promotion alike is basically 'how to lie with statistics (only when your mgr allows it)' if you get what I mean. Mgrs can lie or argue either way depending whether they like you or not. I've seen mgrs reject negative feedbacks for engs they are looking to promote. The reason usually is a terse 'Inappropraite' with no further explanation. The mgrs are known to seek negative and positive feedback depending on how they want to build a case for or against you from their "yes men" who are usually the "top tier" engs.

God help if you've got personal or health issues. At least on one occasion, one of my friends was told by his mgr to be worried abt their performance since they've got mortgage to pay. And on several occasions, employees asked to leave because they broke some Amazon code of conduct or policy, but the actual reason to put them to sword in the first place could have been anything, ranging from personal prejudice to revengeful mindset to "let me show you who's the boss"

Multiple mgrs doing 'amazon things' can mean only one thing: It isn't because of a few bad apples... The whole basket is rotten.

Despite all of this, it's amazing so many good engs I know work there. But I also know that they'd give up that job at Amazon for Googles of this world in a heartbeat.