2 ms·

This what interests me (genuinely - I'm not just trolling here!) If an employer has need for employees to perform a specific type of manual physical work --be

by mft_ 7y ago

This what interests me (genuinely - I'm not just trolling here!) If an employer has need for employees to perform a specific type of manual physical work --be it 'picking' for Amazon, or building houses, or working in agriculture, or whatever-- and they pay market rates, and adhere to health-and-safety laws... what other reasonable working conditions must be met? For example, it's difficult to build houses without exposure to inclement weather.

dnadler 7y ago
> ...and adhere to health-and-safety laws... Aside from wages, it sounds like you agree with the sentiment of 'minimum working conditions', just perhaps disagree on the specifics of what that means.
- mft_ 7y ago
  I don't disagree - I really don't know what standard Amazon (in fact, all employers) are being held to here. And I see a major challenge (logical and practical) for employers whose business requires employees to perform tasks that others find unacceptable, or "inhumane", but which are legal according to H&S standards.
michaelt 7y ago
Googling 'Amazon working conditions' produces a variety of reports. Regular ambulance call-outs. Timed toilet breaks. Top floors at very high temperatures in summer. Workers doing heavy lifting complaining of back pain. Mandatory overtime of 60 hours a week. Performance targets calibrated for the young and healthy meaning pregnant women get fired for underperforming. Firing people for taking sick leave, even with a doctor's note. Wasting doctors' time by forcing employees to get doctors' notes for trivial ailments. Firing workers automatically without human intervention. All of these would be unusual in a white-collar job; the biggest complaint I have at work is when the free bean-to-cup coffee machine breaks down and only instant coffee is on offer.

2 ms·

This what interests me (genuinely - I'm not just trolling here!) If an employer has need for employees to perform a specific type of manual physical work --be

by mft_ 7y ago

dnadler 7y ago
> ...and adhere to health-and-safety laws... Aside from wages, it sounds like you agree with the sentiment of 'minimum working conditions', just perhaps disagree on the specifics of what that means.
- mft_ 7y ago
  I don't disagree - I really don't know what standard Amazon (in fact, all employers) are being held to here. And I see a major challenge (logical and practical) for employers whose business requires employees to perform tasks that others find unacceptable, or "inhumane", but which are legal according to H&S standards.
michaelt 7y ago
Googling 'Amazon working conditions' produces a variety of reports. Regular ambulance call-outs. Timed toilet breaks. Top floors at very high temperatures in summer. Workers doing heavy lifting complaining of back pain. Mandatory overtime of 60 hours a week. Performance targets calibrated for the young and healthy meaning pregnant women get fired for underperforming. Firing people for taking sick leave, even with a doctor's note. Wasting doctors' time by forcing employees to get doctors' notes for trivial ailments. Firing workers automatically without human intervention. All of these would be unusual in a white-collar job; the biggest complaint I have at work is when the free bean-to-cup coffee machine breaks down and only instant coffee is on offer.