Mike Segar/Reuters
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos defended his company culture on Monday following a New York Times report painting a tough, backstabbing work environment at the online retailer. The Times interviewed current and former Amazon employees who claimed they were pushed to show little empathy to colleagues despite illness or bereavement. Bezos told employees in a staff memo, “I don’t recognize this Amazon and I very much hope you don’t, either.” He also urged employees to read the article and email him directly to report any incidences. “Even if it’s rare or isolated, our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero,” Bezos wrote. “The article goes further than reporting isolated anecdotes. It claims that our intentional approach is to create a soulless, dystopian workplace where no fun is had and no laughter heard.”