New book details brutal working conditions at Amazon warehouses
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- Journalist James Bloodworth went undercover to write the newly-released book, "Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain." Bloodworth joins CBSN to discuss the "dehumanizing" conditions he found at an Amazon fulfillment center in the U.K.
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Been working for Amazon here in Ohio as a picker for a week and a half.
10 hours night shift, 4 days a week.
It's brutal. My body is in pain from my pinky toe to my eye ball.
The building is huge and the bathrooms are few and far between. I've been on the 4th floor the last two nights so going to lunch and my one break is like climbing up and down and across Mt. Everest just to eat and refuel and go right back to the torture chamber.
I've been applying for new jobs all morning.
Pray for me.
😢
I hope you found something better.
Keep your head up get out of there ASAP
Nakia, I hope you're ok. Xoxo.
@Nakia Deon i sincerely hope you find a new job, but unfortunately finding a new job that will pay a living wage is far and few in between, Amazon is killing brick and motor stores along with online shopping.
Hey hope you are doing ok. Did you find a job that you like
Simple: stop buying from Amazon
I just quit my job at Amazon a week ago, I was there for 4 months
Robots will Take Labor jobs soon
Good for you, hope you found something better.
I'm about to quit and it's been 2 weeks
I worked only a few jobs like this in my life.
The abuses are rampant and most don't know their rights.
I was once told I needed a doctors note for calling in for one day. The law says three to four.
This was the most abusive place I worked but I made them pay.
How did you made them pay
@@scholarlyreader383 Via legal system. Call the labor board, labor dept. Or call labor attorney. Example: if company does not pay you 1 day or several months, you call the labor board and the labor will throw fines, punishment besides you will receive double pay, and you don't need attorney for that.
Worked there, it's true.
Mike Buttfild I work there now Ive been there 7 months now
how is it?
I've worked there. The reporter's take seems overblown. It's not a *great* job, but most of the complaints from people when I worked there were Amazon's "crazy" idea that they show up consistently, on time, stay productive and manage your time off wisely.
You can't go into Amazon not expecting to work hard. Befriend your higher ups, consistently put out good numbers, use your breaks wisely, and you'll be fine. My only complaint is the pay is too low, but you get health, vision, and dental benefits. You also get a raise every 6 months. If the starting pay was better ($16/hour or more), I would be much happier.
Captain Ransack is probably a P.A./Managers Assistant; of course you got it good while the other 99% of the workforce is bled out...
I personally will not buy anything from Amazon ever again !
steve b lol
Cosimo Kramarawicz 😂
I agree. Just cancelled Prime and will buy from the many other online outlets for goods. I'd rather pay a bit more than support a feudal system like Amazon.
Alfredo Alcantar Whats so funny Alfredo?
Well before long Amazon will be the only retailer, what will you do then?
man. not being able to go to the restroom is one of the most horrible things.
True amazon has no respect for employees
Paul Hodireff what is a safe room? You mean safe space? If so I’m not sure how you came away with that.
Associates not employees.
He's not lying this job is inhumane to me in my opinion. Glad I don't work there anymore!
You picked a good time to get out of there because who knows , You could have been injured for life and received no compensation for medical expenses and other things
Whoever called it a fulfillment center is way way off
What it is , It's a concentration camp with the the CEO , A communist
It’s stressful and tiring . The pay rate should be more ...
People need to buy from local stores before they are all gone!
Don't use Amazon use E Bay in Australia and support local businesses
FedEx and UPS have the same policies. Here's to not having unions! Protect those Wall Street crybabies on the backs of regular people.
Kenzie T I just read that Fedex is #2 in lawsuits against them for unfair labor practices.
they need to get rid of Wall Street fee fees and get back to an objective economic system
UPS is Union and thank God because it's a rough job and I've heard horror stories.
Kenzie T I heard the same thing from a person who works for UPS. He got his union to stop UPS from over working him.
@@missylee3022 I worked for Philly Air Hub. Rough job but if you tough it out the union will help you.
I have worked at Amazon twice and what he is saying ( IS TRUE) If u take bathroom break and Amazon thinks it was to long a manger will come to your work station and comfont you about it. AMAZON CALLS IT TIME OF TASK.
All warehouses use that term.
I applied at a warehouse in Bucks County. During the interview process they said something about an id badge and social media. i told them I don't have facebook, social media is a joke. I asked about the summer time and winter. Winter I could handle, the summer time I might get very sweaty and I might get a vision problem and they told me the job might not be for me. So I walked out. Heck with the drug test I think I put it in my tongue wrong.
I seen them watch the bathroom door at what time u walked in acttually one time a woman with special needs was getting screamed at in front of us all after they went to the batroom banged on the stool to get her to come out then walked her over to show her the footage and yelled i qoute "u have been off task for 6 mins! 6 mins u havnt scanned 1 package pointing to her scanner and saying look al while it took her 4 minutes to reach the restroom that was a half a mile away
Having my side hustle teaching swimming as a former employee at amazon I laugh at their point system or "goals". They're alterior motive goals were obvious.
They are not trying to keep employees. They call it leverage.
I do not shop at amazon anymore and well, was childishly terminated.
Clearly you're just hurt over your loss in job, but it's really not that bad. You go to work to WORK. There is no surprise there. Any company you go to work for will have these expectations. If you own a business you will likely have to drill yourself harder and that will be evident in that it will mean whether or not you get any income.
1 shilling has been donated to your Amazon(tm) prime account ;)
Amazon is the biggest waste of my money ever. They take my tax dollars and I get nothing in return.
End the Amazon tax.
I rarely do, but i know now for sure
correct all employees except roughly 15% are on an active writeup plan , with this implemented they can sack you at any given time and hardly ever pay unemployment compensation
These accusations are all true according to some of my friends who worked for Amazon here in the states. They all quit before a year. #sweatshop.
It's not that bad. Your friends simply don't like to work. It's sad because I enjoy working at Amazon, but I've realized that the workforce it mostly attracts are the lazy people that would rather collect a check by doing nothing but talking to other people all day. Personally I feel that it's a rewarding experience. As long as you're doing what you're supposed to do you should have no problem making the rates and it can be pretty thrilling watching yourself improve over time.
I used to work at Amazon. You're friends were right to leave. It was the worst job I've ever had. Doing much better now as an aircraft maintenance planner.
I honestly think anyone who thinks it's not that bad has no clue what they're talking about. I highly doubt any of them have worked at Amazon themselves and the few who do work there that say it's alright are literally paid extra to say that. I remember higher ups at the fulfillment center talking to individuals one on one and making that offer to them back in 2015 when a not so flattering story about Amazon came out... I think it was in the NY Times.
@@milanomartin5417 then I notice the other half of employees that Amazon attracts: suck ups like yourself.
@@milanomartin5417 It was one of the worst jobs I ever had. Never again.
Worked at Amazon for a year and more reporters should go undercover and expose the harsh working conditions. Employees are scared of retaliation and have no way to document their experiences because phones are banned on the floor. I also find it funny that even in other countries the associates are saying "We are not robots!"
Single moms where i work are on food stamps and they make on avg $13 to $14 an hour in a city lacking affordable housing.
So move to a city with affordable housing
@ms wpwm I've moved to different states 3 times through my life. I know exactly how it is.
@@mdelvalle2456 did you have kids? What was your financial situation like? Did you have help of any kind?
Whatever advantages you had others do not.
@@mdelvalle2456 you make it sound so easy.
Abwj1002 you tell em
Yes, they do watch bathroom breaks and they comment on it when they have their group meeting after every break. There is so much pressure at Amazon to work faster...faster...faster...faster. Everything he is saying is right. The owner needs to do a boss undercover because does not know what is really happen.
Frankie Ross ... of course he knows
@Frankie Ross, he knows, trust me he knows, i pray i will never have to work for Amazon.
@@mikeaskme3530 yup I wouldn't be surprised if they branded numbers
On people and placed chips in there butts
These are not Robot, these are human.....horrible!
You are so right. Amazon should look into changing this. Replace half that workforce with robots so they don't have to listen to whiners anymore.
"Physical slavery requires people to be housed and fed. Economic slavery requires people to feed and house themselves." - Zeitgeist: Addendum
Damn this is weird. My boy started Amazon couple years back(in NJ) and said he disappeared for like 1/2hr to use the bathroom. Came back noone gave a damn. Is it a regional issue?
one simple solution dont buy anything from Amazon. IGNORE it. THis kind of working practices will soon be overtook by other companies, if not countered.
One simple solution? That's half a million jobless people plus however many temps still just going to go work for another company probably worse than Amazon.
I used to work there it was like the report says
Stop buying from Amazon
That's what you get when the people who own these businesses pay politicians off to change the rules in there favour
And this was on 2017. Im working now on September 2018, two weeks and I will QUIT. It's Harder now on 2018 and is worst.
AJ-Matthew why?? Is it that bad?
@@Lanja1991 yes, it's that bad.
Just completed two months of amazon in 2019 it’s absolutely horrible
Just worked at a fulfillment center for a month in 2020 and nothing has changed. I couldn't work somewhere where I'm expected to act like a robot, doing the same monotonous task for 10-11 hours while having timed bathroom breaks and not being able to listen to music.
Boycott Amazon!!! And Unionize!!!
Iìm a cop and I'm glad we have a union. As do all cops across North America.
These are some of the same reasons why I couldn't handle working for the Postal Service anymore after 30 years as a letter carrier. They now have scanners that operate in much the same way, tracking your location, what point on your route you should be at, your level of productivity. If you reach a certain level, you're expected to maintain it every day. I've known former Amazon employees who say the same thing, a long with those who have worked for FedEx and UPS. And I believe them before I would believe some dry legalized corporate statement claiming otherwise.
Those Former Amazon Employees brought it on themselves.
@Kristy Sokoloski I missed you at the Annual Internet Troll Convention. We were supposed to compare notes. Also, do you still have that poster of Adolf Hitler I let you borrow?
@@Fouroclocklover38how
it's just mind blowing, because it doesn't have to be this way. They could be the best company to work for on the planet.
except for the fact that hes the devil incarnate and the devil is a liar, thief and destroyer and hates everything beautiful and human. and we are created in the image of GOD and this demon minion hates the human experience. just look at his eyes. VACANT.nothing there...nobody home...peace. I wont be going there to work.ever.
Let's just say warehouse work is similar with various degrees of difficulty. Amazon sounds like one of the worst.
I worked in a warehouse but my boss who owns the place actually works with the workers and would rather be on his feet than to be behind the desk.
_Paws_ your boss is literally the opposite of mine 😂😂 they just sit there on their laptops typing away and telling us which floors to go to
I work for Amazon
Those coaching they do basically is some person coming around to micro manage you so you pack more item's. You hardly had time to eat and use the bathroom because it was so far away everything this guy is saying is TRUE
Someone needs to put a hidden camera and expose Amazon.
Thats probably why they dont all phones inside
Well, someone has: look up BBC Panorama Amazon The truth behind the click, it's here on youtube.
This is actually a form of slavery. I live very close to an Amazon warehouse in NJ and they are screaming for people to work there. They have worn out their welcome and no one will work there. They don’t even conduct interviews at this site. Once you fill out an online application you are then given an assessment test. At the end of the test you are given three choices for a start date and a schedule. All you have to do is show up on the scheduled date that you have chosen.
In CALIFORNIA amazon warehouses are modern day slavery. They have bells going off and on to go to break and lunch. It’s the worst!
The sirens I still have that ringing in my ear. Horrible and torturous
Never smell the bottle containing straw-colored liquid.
Armaugh Blackwolf bahahahaha
I ordered a bottle of urine from Amazon, never got it. This bloke took it!
They could have gotten one off the line for you...............
LMAO
😂🤣😅😂🤣😅👌👌👌👌👌
FUNNY
I worked at a fullfillment warehouse and knew it was going to suck during orientation. Still wanted to give it a try to see how tough it really was. I worked on a conveyor belt scanning boxes coming off it and building pallets for somebody else to put away. Repeat for 10 hours! It really did suck and I never went back after the first day. Nobody talked to each other and it was like an endurance test to see how long you can stand monotony and boredom. It wouldn't be so bad if you switched up stations throughout the day doing other stuff. It took all of two minutes to train me for the job.
Their break time is ridiculous they try to give you 15 minutes for break, bathrooms are not on every floor,when I got sick I told my supervisor I wasn’t feeling well. And she insist I return to work because of productivity. So yes it’s true
Walmart has the same point system. 9 points and you lose your job.
Point systems aren't inherently bad. It's how they're implemented that could be an issue. The company I work for uses a point system. You can get 1 point or 1/2 point for attendance issues. We do not use them for lunches/breaks.
Jeannie Michaels no u hit 0 your out
I've worked at Walmart years ago and I didn't know it has a point system then your fired
Why the smiling face with
people losing jobs,
I wish I could stop buying from amazon except I only have one problem with that. I never have bought anything from amazon.
Everywhere its the same at every work place.
We need to do something about it.
This can no longer continue.
We consumers can unite against Amazon Behemoth and bring it down!!!
and then what? you put hundreds of thousands of people out of a job, and internet shopping will have an insanely rapid decline worldwide, you dont know what you are even asking xD
@@Laoruperteen18 Companies are replaceable.
@@JoshCraver9000 by OTHER companies, policies change, but business doesnt.
My job, Vesta Corporation. Recently, started using this point system!! It's a Call Center.
I guess it's time to stop getting anything from Amazon.
Every Ex-Amazon Employee told Me They would never return there! You sign up to do certain duties and then your told'You will do as We say" You will be worked like a Machine!
Amazon response felt soo cold and robotics!....do they see their workers as robots?
So AMAZON is a SWEATSHOP !!!!!!!!!!
lol FedEx does the same thing.
He’s 100% right! I work there. But I don’t work inside the building. But ppl have been ported to my team telling me these exact things!
This kind of work is just meant for robots. Big corporations would rather invest in robots and automatization than in human capital.
Yet if they got robots to do this work you would complain about them taking away jobs...
And the sad part is there are still people applying to work for this company smh.
I would've got fired my first day.
Me too.
I refrain from ordering from Amazon and Fed Ex they're very brutal towards their employees.
Is the book for sale on Amazon ???????????????
demands for the human worker that only a robot can do
"Dedicated Coaching" is a another way to say "TaskMaster". I work for Dollar General Distribution center and everyone is reviewed weekly on your production rate, which is high. 4 strikes and you are demoted to customer. Your entire day is timed.
they may not monitor toilet breaks but they call it time off task and its counted towards your rates
Horrible! They should put these managers and the bafoon Jeff .. should be ashamed! What beast to treat other human beings like this!
Is your pay in any way tied to your productivity?
That's the way you usually get people to be more productive, not by threatening them with discipline.
All big companies are like that
Not even close i worked for a huge furniture conglomerate... And also UPs etc and not even close my friend other big companys are disneyland to here my hand on the bible
Amazon fulfillment centers....Sounds like a chain of brothels.
It's more like Amazon Communism centers
in the future Amazon's owner will ask their employees to use diapers I'm 100% sure that will happen in the not too distant future
I've watched a few of these docs about Amazon, and I'm not buying anything else off them. The way they treat their employees is nigh on modern day slavery. Disgraceful.
If it helps, I was a top 10% performance in USA for production in the entire building of 3,000 (top 10% our of 3,000 people); but I was also too afraid to use the restroom for either a feedback or some kind of retaliation while I was picking on suspicion of 'Time Off Task".Their water coolers also didn't work, so I had to improvise just to stay hydrated, but usually my water would be out eventually during our task to make rate while being dehydrated.
Thanks for the reminder. I hate warehouse settings. No thank you!
My team still has a point based attendance policy...WTF.
JEFF BEZOS, FOUNDER OF AMAZON: "I'm proud of our working conditions...."
Yea hes proud alright. Proud that his sweatshop is making him more money and then corporate welfare on top of that
Hopefully he doesn't get a kidney infection
@@HammerLeaf I don't think insulting him is going to help much.
amazon workers need to vote in a union !
I'm gonna get the audio book on Audible... 😉
Do better, order the physical book on Amazon so these lazy workers have to keep working.
People want their stuff when they order online they usually do not think about how they get their items they just want them now and fast plus not damaged. I've worked at Walmart fulfillment, target doing fulfillment & Amazon which each one is different now I left them all due to the companies greed not quality nor for the customer. I see Target losing a lot of online customers & money because when I picked the items most of them are not where they should be due to the fact customers place them elsewhere in the store so it is not at the location. I see why it is best to have a center where customers do not shop to get to the product & know it should hopefully be there. Most of these warehouses have dates of items that have expired and are still stowed. At Amazon people get write ups for not being productive when it is impossible to stow items because it is overfilled. Amazon seems to be a storage for items no one buys they make money monthly from people who sale through Amazon those items no one wants nor buys so the bins are too full to add anything. People work at these places because they want to be there those who do not, leave to find work elsewhere. Hopefully people know they should not be forced to work in a job they do not want to work at most of the workers I see do not really work they walk around and talk. They get their numbers because they take smaller items from others and that is how they keep their job and low rates while others work hard and get written up than fired . These companies will always stay in business because people will work there nothing anyone can do unless people stop supporting these type of businesses which will never happen because people want stuff. I have a business to help people start college by helping them apply to school & get them financial aid many have started their own companies & now have better careers. These jobs are to help you get a start while going to school or help pay bills but mostly these types of warehouse jobs are temp & people are replaceable to these companies which is why it is best to start your own business and get paid doing something you enjoy.
I use to do fufilment for Macy's in Downey and OMG our score was soooo low cause nth was on place and couldn't find it and our boss would get mad, I'm like why don't you go find it then goodluck
Not true in Salem, Oregon. Ive worked there since September 2019. Its hard work but no penalties on useing the bathroom or getting water. Very nice people incharge here.
I've known these conditions especially the three strikes. I stopped using Amazon because the discripution onsite was very misleading and false, with many deliveries there was major problem. Even the nexts day delivery failed. So seeing these working conditions, I'm not surprised
Success will fail for them in future!
This Milano Martin person that has posted all over these comments is obviously a paid Amazon troll.
Sounds just like Walmart with the "point system " mess. Lack of proper communication of the various managers, thereby you receive points for being out sick, even though you did your part. I was terminated because of that, turns out, the person that fired me, soon after was let go, because she was found to be fudging points for her buddies that was truly deserving of points. I worked really hard there, but it wasn't appreciated.
2013 was the same way horrible place to work
That's slavery
Working a 2nd job now at Amazon. Everything he says is 100% true. Dehumanizing.
Wealthiest man in the world can't cultivate a healthy work environment. However, I've worked at a factory/warehouse job and it's apparent that the workers have no desire to work hard, and introducing these rules only creates more tension with management. It's a combination of the the available workforce and the companies culture.
I quit Amazon in Swansea, Wales UK. Nothing has changed in 2020
Not amazon
can anybody speak on how conditions are for workers who have disabilities that may impede their ability to move as fast or walk it all without assistive technology which is of course going to slow down their rate I would love to hear anybody speak on this subject, thanks
Are these 18 - 34 year olds who have problems having to work for a living?
You keep reading about people at Amazon getting food stamps. Not if you’re working full time at 15 an hour. You wouldn’t meet the income requirements.
Part time is a different story. Here in NJ a single person has to make under 1310 to qualify.
Am not shopping through Amazon again.
Amazon should be broken up and governments should do it
They need to have a major walkout among all the warehouses. Eventually they won’t have anyone to work for them if everyone keeps getting penalized and fired.
BEZOS IS JUST GOING TO KEEP LYING AND POCKETING ALL THE CASH. HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST MONEY AND TOYS WINS. THE FEW LAWSUITS THAT THEY PAY OUT IS NOTHING TO THE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY THEY ARE MAKING. THEY ALSO WILL DRAG THESE LAWSUITS OUT FOR AS LONG AS THEY CAN.
I am a current picker for Amazon. This is an understatement.
I stopped using amazon at all. Never again!
I definitely had an issue at Amazon regarding the points. I was hired and they said they were disability friendly and in 2 months my MS had flared up and then my mother gave birth, 6 points came up fast and I was let go with no warning. I got the notice days after I was let go.
For you, Emmie M, and every other US worker, if you work at a company with more than 50 employees, after a certain amount of time on the job, usually 12 months but it depends based on the hours you have put in on the job, you qualify for FMLA. That is the Family Medical Leave Act. Memorize the letters. You download a form from the US Govt, and have the doctor fill it out for you. Then you turn it in to HR. This gives you time to take off for yourself, your loved one that you care for, or birth, that kind of thing. It will not pay you, so you will need to use your own paid sick time or vacation time but this will save your job. They can't just fire you for the time off if you have FMLA. You can take it all at once, or you can take it intermittently. Many companies put restrictions on this, like you can only use 2 hours at a time instead of just an hour or half an hour, but in general FMLA is something that you should always consider when you take any job. Look up the rules and use them, particularly if you are disabled. You'd imagine the HR dept would offer this to you along with other things that would help but they won't, since without a union, HR and the management cannot be trusted. They aren't on your side.
Another quick point- larger companies don't want lawsuits, they usually comply with the rules when you force them to do so, but if they don't comply you can try to get some redress through various methods, one being a class action lawsuit, since you can almost guarantee if they did it to you, they did it to others. Not that they did anything wrong, in the US, you can be fired for any cause or no cause at all, but if there is a pattern and a lot of employees, they will be a lot less likely to try to violate your rights if they have money to lose. You could also try to go after them based on the ADA on your own. But yes, they are going to say they are disability friendly even if they aren't, because they fear a lawsuit if they admit the truth. I'm not picking on Amazon in particular, just any large business.
This is why Amazon hires through temp agencies.
Emmie, you saw exactly the exploitation i saw. A very EVIL outfit!
I know i damn sure wont be working for anymore retail or warehousing ever again. It just isnt worth it to me.
Amazon should be sued for emotional distress
Imagine his book is actually on Amazon 😂😂 the irony
unfortunly ive been a labouer for 6 years and out of all the jobs ive done only 2 treated us badly obviously some firms treated you better then others but the majorty treat you some what well its suprising that in lots of warehouse they treat staff like this yet if your a labouer in a bulding site your treated far better for a job that takes the same skill
i want to read the book so i looked it up online to see where i can buy it. the first result was an amazon link. ironic
edit: oh god the first several links are from amazon. luckily, i found it on my local bookstore's website so i'll be purchasing it from there
Can you listen to earbuds or headphones during your shift?
Never u are terminated on sight if caught with them in my building
Modern day sweatshop!
Some work places don't need to be unionized but people may choose to unionize when things get really bad. I have worked in both types of environments. I would imagine that the type of business that Amazon is may require a rigid work ethic and those who can hack it may remain there, when it comes to bathroom breaks you can't unreasonably restrict that.
Amazon say they don't monitor bathroom breaks is a lie