Amazon Warehouses Getting Safer?
Next time you order a product you desperately need from Amazon, think about how quickly you need it. There are actual people working in Amazon warehouses who are oftentimes risking life and limb to get you your package in a certain amount of time. And, if it doesn’t make their quota, they could lose their jobs.
According to CNET, the state of New York is so concerned with news of Amazon warehouse workers getting hurt or getting fired due to high quotas that Governor, Kathy Hochul decided to make a change. On Wednesday Hochul signed the Warehouse Worker Protection Act. This act restricts demanding quotas for workers fulfilling orders for such logistics companies as Amazon, UPS, and more.
Amazon is notorious for its demanding schedules and quotas and experts say that leads to injury and sometimes even death. Working in a warehouse is quite dangerous and working quickly with tunnel vision leads to unintentional injuries. In addition, workers must work grueling shifts in Amazon warehouses and are unable to leave or even take a break when they want to.
It was in December of 2021 when a tornado hit an Amazon warehouse in Illinois. Even though people knew the tornado was coming, Amazon workers did not leave their posts and eventually perished in the natural disaster. Critics point fingers at Jeff Bezos’s demanding schedule. In addition, he has strict rules in place that keep workers afraid to leave even when they need to.
Although many political luminaries have penned legislation and have spoken out against Jeff Bezos’s policies, it sometimes seems that he is above the law although Amazon had numerous OSHA violations. The organization has been investigating the company and its Amazon warehouses for its lack of crisis training and general safety education.
As Amazon rolls out more and more shiny features and reviews to keep the world shopping, it’s hard to say no to a company that treats its workers poorly. People have gotten so used to getting something right away when they want it that we are happy to overlook Jeff Bezos’s policies or lack thereof in his Amazon warehouses.
Higher-ups in Amazon warehouses have pushed back and said that they do not have quotas and that their policies are often misunderstood. Hopefully, legislation like that one in the state of New York will help force clarification.
Let’s remember, however, that New York is only one state and Amazon has its Amazon warehouses all across the country. California has the most, followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Hopefully, those two states closest to New York will follow suit.
In some good news coming out of Amazon warehouses, drivers are now able to receive tips after someone says to their Alexa, “Thank my driver.” After this occurs your Amazon driver gets $5 sent to them. Remember this next time you get an order. Delivery drivers have a quota too.
If Amazon warehouses continue to have demanding schedules and quotas that show no regard for the human side of its workers, perhaps it can amp up its current robot worker that it is testing. Robots don’t have to stop, can work 24/7, and can’t get hurt. Sounds like a win-win-win for Amazon.
