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They aren't really encouraging them to quit, they are encouraging them to stay. If you're somewhat unhappy at Amazon and considering quitting, you might be motivated to stay just a few months longer to get the higher bonus for quitting. An employee might think "I'd like to quit, but if I quit now, I'll get $2,000. If I stay for just a couple months more, I'll get $3,000. I'll wait a few months to get the $3,000." A few months roll by, and maybe the employee isn't as motivated to quit as they were a few months ago. So they stay a little longer, and again, they are faced with the same situation: quit now and get $3,000, but wait a few months and get $4,000. That works up to 5 years, where it tops out at $5,000. At that point, the employee no longer has an incentive to stay longer, but if they have been there for 5 years, they are more likely to have "bought in" to the company, and with five years of experience, the job may be more enjoyable than an entry-level job.
This can also make people feel better about their jobs. If they are turning down free money in order to stay at their job, they may be more likely to feel that their job is a good job. After all, if the job is bad, why aren't they taking the free money and quitting? The reality may be that jobs can be hard to find, it's a bother to look for jobs, and the new job may not be sufficiently better to justify the bother.
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