Amazon requires employees to "stretch" during work due to frequent injuries

In early February of this year , the U.S. Department of Labor issued a subpoena to Amazon's fulfillment center in Nampa , stating that the company's working environment posed major safety hazards .

According to Kitchener Ginsor, a current employee at the warehouse , " It's a physical job , so sometimes you get hurt. "

Trevor Buffey, a former warehouse employee, said he was not surprised by the result. He said the heavy workload was the main reason for his departure. According to him, his main job was to stack boxes and push a cart to transport goods back and forth.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also issued subpoenas to Amazon warehouses in Aurora, Colorado, and Castleton, New York. The agency believes that Amazon's working environment completely disregards the personal safety of workers.

Amazon was fined nearly $47,000 for the three violations, documents show .

Amazon warehouse workers are under tremendous pressure to complete contracted work and production quotas, risking injury, according to a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The letter also claims there is evidence that injuries may not be reported in a timely manner because Amazon's on-site first aid clinics are not adequately staffed.

Amazon responded in an email that it is constantly working to improve workstation design, such as providing height-adjustable desks to ensure employees can work at a comfortable and safe height, which helps reduce the need to bend and reach.

Amazon also said it redesigned the sorting conveyor belts to bring goods closer to employees, and said it redesigned the ladders at the Stow stations to help employees safely put products into the pods, greatly reducing the probability of employee injuries.

Ginther said that Amazon has actually made many efforts for the health of its employees, including providing employees with customized work boots and setting up a special area for employees to stretch.

But Ginther found that few people were using the stretching areas during work. To help address this, Amazon required warehouse workers to take mandatory stretching classes starting in mid-February.

Buffey said his back pain lasted for four months after he left his job, and he thinks the company's working conditions may take some time to resolve.

Although Amazon's working environment has always been criticized, it can be seen that it has been constantly improving its working system.

Looking at the experiences of workers abroad, more people in China may think that they are just complaining without any reason and that it would be better if they came to China and worked for a while.

But no matter what, improved working conditions are a good thing for both workers and employers.

Amazon

storehouse

Worker