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As they cannibalize or threaten small businesses[1], treat their employees poorly[2][3], and encourage/allow Chinese counterfeit products[4][5]. [1] https://ww

As they cannibalize or threaten small businesses[1], treat their employees poorly[2][3], and encourage/allow Chinese counterfeit products[4][5]. [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/01/16/popsockets-sonos-tile-congress-antitrust-hearing https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/01/16/popsock... [2] https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-describe-peak-2019-2 https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-describe-pe... [3] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/02/revealed-amazon-employees-suffer-after-workplace-injuries https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/02/revealed-... [4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/11/14/how-amazons-quest-more-cheaper-products-has-resulted-flea-market-fakes/?arc404=true https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/11/14/how-ama... [5] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/04/amazon-may-have-a-counterfeit-problem/558482/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/04/amazo...

geertj 7y ago
Amazon employee here (product manager at AWS). I don't recognize this characterization of our company. The company treats me just fine. While the pace is high, and the bar for anything you do is very high, you learn a lot, get tons of opportunity to invent new stuff, and generally can make meaningful contributions to services, while still having a personal life.
abledon 7y ago
are the SDE's also pulling crazy hours?
- notimetorelax 7y ago
  AFAIK yes. For AMZN deadline is everything, no one cares how you get there.
  - mathgladiator 7y ago
    It depends on the team since some are more mature and focus on stability. It means the teams dont have much room for promotions, but good work life.
- txcwpalpha 7y ago
  I've heard it varies depending on office location. Apparently the culture in Seattle is pretty demanding but I talked to an SDE in Austin who said they arrive at the office at 10am and leave before 6pm every day, and that their biggest gripe about that job is that it's hard to find parking near the office.
- decebalus1 7y ago
  As with everything, it depends a lot on the team. But in general, in Seattle, yes. Amazon also has a ridiculous employee turnover rate in engineering for obvious reasons.
- StreamBright 7y ago
  Only in the US. EU has very strict laws and most employees cannot be pressured into crazy hours.
  - abledon 7y ago
    India, Singapore, Canada, Mexico etc?
  - thorwasdfasdf 7y ago
    that hasn't stopped some start ups from doing it anyways. I heard a pretty extreme horror story from a coworker who went to work for a start up in Sweden, of all places.
- kevan 7y ago
  I can only speak to my own experience but I usually work 40hrs/week and I got promoted last quarter. The office is usually completely empty by 6pm in Minneapolis. SDE at Amazon, opinions are my own, yada yada yada
- jkingsbery 7y ago
  I'm an Amazon SDE in NY. When I visit Seattle, after 5:00 or 5:30, it feels pretty quiet. In NY, it might be a bit longer, but tame compared to other places I've worked.
- dsr_ 7y ago
  A friend went to work for Amazon in Boston; our workplaces were a half-mile apart. We went out for lunch. He asked if he could bring a coworker whom he thought I would like. Sure, no problem. My friend shows up alone. Why? "Oh, we believe in work-life balance, and he wants to leave work at 6 tonight because he wants to see his kids, so he's not taking lunch today." Anecdata, but it's true.
  - bbg215 7y ago
    sample size.
whoisjuan 7y ago
What’s the point of this comment besides being inflammatory? All those things are always discussed tirelessly in HN every time there’s something about Amazon. We get it. And it’s ok to bring them up here. But how about adding something useful to the discussion, instead of just making that statement and posting a bunch of links?
- decebalus1 7y ago
  I'll add something useful! All of the above are cold, business sided stories. Let's get personal. If you're an employee and want to share your personal story, go check out https://sites.google.com/site/thefaceofamazon/home https://sites.google.com/site/thefaceofamazon/home
- clSTophEjUdRanu 7y ago
  I thought it was insightful. 4 and 5 are what made me boycott Amazon and shop at, gasp, Wal-Mart. Amazon might be surging now but they are eroding consumer trust with this BS.
- serf 7y ago
  >We get it. Eh. Speak for yourself. Either the vast market that they exploit is ignorant to their abuse of the world, or the vast market is knowingly participating in fairly a-moral behavior knowingly. I prefer to think that people are generally good (moral) & naive, so i'll continue parroting the point everytime Amazon comes up, just on the off chance that i'll elucidate to someone Amazon's true nature that they may otherwise be unaware of. Speaking of topics that are spoken of ceaselessly on HN : Amazon's success and profit. Where's your issue with that topic? > What’s the point of this comment besides being inflammatory? I think that's an absolutely atrocious response to anything human-rights related.
  - pasabagi 7y ago
    I think moralizing about companies is stupid. If a company makes moral decisions, and as such, is less sucessful, they're probably going to get their lunch eaten by their less moral competition. The only antidote to this is laws that ensure some basic level of civility. Capitalism is a nasty, amoral system by nature. Saying some companies are good and others are bad is just scapegoating. If everybody boycotts amazon tomorrow, they'll be replaced by a company that does the same stuff - because amazon have proved that it works, and that it is profitable. Nothing but legistlation can stop that. Talking about how bad amazon is obcures this.
point78 7y ago
You forgot don't pay taxes also
darawk 7y ago
> As they cannibalize or threaten small businesses[1] You mean 'compete with'? I.e. the purpose of companies and markets?

geertj 7y ago

Amazon employee here (product manager at AWS). I don't recognize this characterization of our company. The company treats me just fine. While the pace is high, and the bar for anything you do is very high, you learn a lot, get tons of opportunity to invent new stuff, and generally can make meaningful contributions to services, while still having a personal life.

abledon 7y ago

are the SDE's also pulling crazy hours?

notimetorelax 7y ago
AFAIK yes. For AMZN deadline is everything, no one cares how you get there.
- mathgladiator 7y ago
  It depends on the team since some are more mature and focus on stability. It means the teams dont have much room for promotions, but good work life.
txcwpalpha 7y ago
I've heard it varies depending on office location. Apparently the culture in Seattle is pretty demanding but I talked to an SDE in Austin who said they arrive at the office at 10am and leave before 6pm every day, and that their biggest gripe about that job is that it's hard to find parking near the office.
decebalus1 7y ago
As with everything, it depends a lot on the team. But in general, in Seattle, yes. Amazon also has a ridiculous employee turnover rate in engineering for obvious reasons.
StreamBright 7y ago
Only in the US. EU has very strict laws and most employees cannot be pressured into crazy hours.
- abledon 7y ago
  India, Singapore, Canada, Mexico etc?
- thorwasdfasdf 7y ago
  that hasn't stopped some start ups from doing it anyways. I heard a pretty extreme horror story from a coworker who went to work for a start up in Sweden, of all places.
kevan 7y ago
I can only speak to my own experience but I usually work 40hrs/week and I got promoted last quarter. The office is usually completely empty by 6pm in Minneapolis. SDE at Amazon, opinions are my own, yada yada yada
jkingsbery 7y ago
I'm an Amazon SDE in NY. When I visit Seattle, after 5:00 or 5:30, it feels pretty quiet. In NY, it might be a bit longer, but tame compared to other places I've worked.
dsr_ 7y ago
A friend went to work for Amazon in Boston; our workplaces were a half-mile apart. We went out for lunch. He asked if he could bring a coworker whom he thought I would like. Sure, no problem. My friend shows up alone. Why? "Oh, we believe in work-life balance, and he wants to leave work at 6 tonight because he wants to see his kids, so he's not taking lunch today." Anecdata, but it's true.
- bbg215 7y ago
  sample size.

whoisjuan 7y ago

What’s the point of this comment besides being inflammatory? All those things are always discussed tirelessly in HN every time there’s something about Amazon. We get it. And it’s ok to bring them up here. But how about adding something useful to the discussion, instead of just making that statement and posting a bunch of links?

decebalus1 7y ago
I'll add something useful! All of the above are cold, business sided stories. Let's get personal. If you're an employee and want to share your personal story, go check out https://sites.google.com/site/thefaceofamazon/home https://sites.google.com/site/thefaceofamazon/home
clSTophEjUdRanu 7y ago
I thought it was insightful. 4 and 5 are what made me boycott Amazon and shop at, gasp, Wal-Mart. Amazon might be surging now but they are eroding consumer trust with this BS.
serf 7y ago
>We get it. Eh. Speak for yourself. Either the vast market that they exploit is ignorant to their abuse of the world, or the vast market is knowingly participating in fairly a-moral behavior knowingly. I prefer to think that people are generally good (moral) & naive, so i'll continue parroting the point everytime Amazon comes up, just on the off chance that i'll elucidate to someone Amazon's true nature that they may otherwise be unaware of. Speaking of topics that are spoken of ceaselessly on HN : Amazon's success and profit. Where's your issue with that topic? > What’s the point of this comment besides being inflammatory? I think that's an absolutely atrocious response to anything human-rights related.
- pasabagi 7y ago
  I think moralizing about companies is stupid. If a company makes moral decisions, and as such, is less sucessful, they're probably going to get their lunch eaten by their less moral competition. The only antidote to this is laws that ensure some basic level of civility. Capitalism is a nasty, amoral system by nature. Saying some companies are good and others are bad is just scapegoating. If everybody boycotts amazon tomorrow, they'll be replaced by a company that does the same stuff - because amazon have proved that it works, and that it is profitable. Nothing but legistlation can stop that. Talking about how bad amazon is obcures this.

point78 7y ago

You forgot don't pay taxes also

darawk 7y ago

> As they cannibalize or threaten small businesses[1] You mean 'compete with'? I.e. the purpose of companies and markets?