Prime Day, like Black Friday, has its own frenzied buzz around deep discounts for avid online shoppers who are members of Amazon Prime. However, many of Amazon’s employees this year choose this critical time to protest the alleged harsh working conditions they face all year round. What working conditions have prompted this response, and is Amazon violating any laws by imposing these conditions?
Behind The Curtain
In late 2015, The New York Times released an expose on the difficult working conditions within Amazon’s large fulfillment centers. Now in 2019, there are more articles than ever about the working conditions at Amazon as well as comments from actual employees on job sites such as indeed and Glassdoor. Stories range from short 15 minute breaks that start from the end of the last scan and do not count the long trek to the company break room, skipping bathroom breaks by urinating in water bottles, the strict attendance points policy that leaves little room for calling out sick, and not being paid for the long security check point processes. Almost all complaints come back to one common issue: the intense scanning and packaging metrics mandated by the company for its workers. One worker stated that the metric at his facility in Minnesota works out to scanning one item every 8 seconds. These mandates have moved many Amazon workers to protest this Prime Day in hopes that corporate will amend some of these issues in order to be more accommodating to all workers.
It’s Complicated
However, not all workers feel this way about working at Amazon. Many communities have praised the vast job opportunities factories have brought to their area. A quick search can yield pages and pages of employees lauding the job and how the pay is worth all the intense goals they are required to meet. Amazon Flex is praised for its accessibility for employees needing a more flexible working arrangement while still paying competitive wages. In our rising gig-economy with options like Uber, Lyft, PostMates, and Instacart, Amazon Flex is tapping a growing market of employees who want to make their own schedules. These positive reviews certainly do not negate the very real stress of high intensity working conditions that many of Amazon’s employees both in the US and abroad are fighting to change. Corporations need to be held accountable for the healthy work life of their employees.
If you are concerned about remaining compliant with state and federal law as regards working conditions, or you are interested in addressing working conditions as an employee, it is advisable to seek the expertise of an experienced employment law attorney. Fernee Kelly Law is here to help. Schedule a free case evaluation with us today.
– HGS for the firm.