Amazon? The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Part 2

When people think of Amazon, most lean toward the idea of the company as a whole. However, they tend to forget those who make up Amazon: the workers. There are 1.1 million Amazon employees in the United States, and they work together for long hours in one space. This results in some problems. High temperatures and heavy loads can be issues, and workers have complained of inadequate working conditions. In August 2021, these worker complaints reached the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, which sent Kracht and her team to check up on a warehouse in Tacoma.

However, the workplace health and safety manager, Chris Murphy, refused to allow for a checkup. Eventually, the checkup team made their way in and found reports of exposed cables, items stacked at a dangerous height, and sharp tools. Workers were made to lift items exceeding 50 pounds, and "when an employee states their back is broken from physically lifting hundreds of items per hour… we can conclude this is serious harm," stated Kracht.

More hardships were encountered during COVID. The high temperatures of some warehouses, being crowded among conveyor belts, and the tightly packed space resulted in a higher chance of spreading COVID. Thirty centers that power Amazon’s e-commerce business have had outbreaks, which added to the frustration, walkouts, and challenges. Even though Amazon had declared to protect employees, change was slow, and many workers stated that safety protocols weren’t put in place. Furthermore, workers have to yell to each other across the loud whirring of machines in the background. This increases the risk of contracting COVID, as this virus thrives off airborne transmission.

Distancing also proves to be difficult, as there are too many people to social distance 100% of the time. Sanitizing and keeping good hygiene are also inconvenient for the workers, corresponding to ill employees who cannot access sick leave, further infecting others.

References:

Amazon faces reckoning over worker safety after blocking inspectors [Internet]. The Seattle Times. 2023. Available from: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/hazardous-by-design-after-pandemic-boom-amazon-faces-safety-reckoning/ 

Palmer A. Amazon rolled back Covid safety protocols in warehouses, says New York attorney general [Internet]. CNBC. Available from: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/new-york-ag-amazon-dropped-covid-safety-protocols-in-warehouses.html 

COVID-19 Risks to Warehouse Workers | School of Public Health | University of Illinois Chicago [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 12]. Available from: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://publichealth.uic.edu/news-stories/covid-19-risks-to-warehouse-workers/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1715550002734104&usg=AOvVaw1mN-5bWepK5VIlaRTx56Rm 

Glaser A. 1 in every 169 U.S. workers is now employed by Amazon [Internet]. NBC News. 2021. Available from: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/amazon-now-employs-almost-1-million-people-u-s-or-n1275539 

Amazon’s treatment of workers can improve, if lawmakers act [Internet]. Chicago Sun-Times. 2023 [cited 2024 May 12]. Available from: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/11/16/23959166/amazon-worker-rights-pay-labor-market-illinois-legislature-pat-garofalo