8 ms·

Amazon: Staff told to work overtime as virus spikes demand

102 points by NoB4Mouth 7y ago

dlgeek 7y ago
Dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22604866 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22604866
Kunigaikstis 7y ago
So you're saying Amazon has a toxic work culture? What a surprise
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- BurningFrog 7y ago
  Or Amazon has an important role in the new Virus Economy, and is stepping up to do its part.
  - z3ncyberpunk 7y ago
    Once again at the expense of the worker.
    - btmiller 7y ago
      And what exactly is the alternative in this very specific example?
    - burnte 7y ago
      Yes, the time-and-a-half overtime paid worker.
    - nkassis 7y ago
      What's worse, stores having mass of people going in and out or a restricted set of workers they can try to keep apart? Right now, yes those workers are at greater danger than not working (and maybe they deserve extra pay here) but I would argue that for the public good Amazon better than in person stores at the moment.
    - jeherr 7y ago
      People ordering off of Amazon prevents them from having to go to brick and mortar stores where they could also spread or catch the virus. This includes the elderly who are in the highest risk groups for the disease. Most if not all Amazon warehouse workers are significantly less likely to be in high risk groups, meaning they are much more likely to have milder symptoms if they do catch it. Sure it sucks for those who work for Amazon, ideally they should be given a choice, but people are not going to stop buying things if Amazon is way behind and orders are looking at a week or two shipment time. They'll go out in public to stores full of other people. This seems like the lesser evil of two bad options to me.
    - throw_m239339 7y ago
      I mean, you are on where you are, Most people here are all about "entrepreneurship", adore Bezos, Kalanick, Musk, "disruption", despise unions by a large majority, believe in "the right to work" and care very little about menial worker conditions and class warfare. You'd be on another sort of forum you'd hear a very different tune. So it is to be expected. Be smart bind your time and then s*bvert.
  - robodale 7y ago
    Wow, the "Virus Economy". Is that the term emerging now? It's still sinking in with me...that this is our new reality.
- commandlinefan 7y ago
  It looks like they are paying for the extra hours, at least.
- natalyarostova 7y ago
  (Disclaimer: I work at Amazon). We have a world class supply-chain. This is a moment when the US, and the world, 100% must have a functioning supply chain. I'm proud of the work we're doing to keep things running under unusual stress.
  - misiti3780 7y ago
    as you should be.
  - asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
    I don't work at Amazon, but I'm incredibly grateful for its existence right now and the work it is doing. I can't help but think that almost everyone in the American populace feels likewise, except some politically motivated grousing from certain groups.
    - jschwartzi 7y ago
      Yeah I'd be the first guy to take a crap on Amazon, but you're right about this. We need a functioning supply chain or we'll have civil unrest soon and having a company taking care of that at a time when nearly everything else is closing is good. I also really appreciate the few stories of them cracking down on profiteers since resource scarcity is a big part of why people feel stressed out right now.
  - OJFord 7y ago
    Claimer* , or disclosure*. But other than that, agreed, good job; I saw earlier about not restocking non-essentials, to focus on higher demand for less discretionary items, that's bound to cause some frustration, but it's good to see - since those are presumably the less profitable lines too. Also in excellent Corporate Social Responsibility this week is LVMH, reconfiguring perfume production lines to produce hand sanitiser for France, for free. Beats 'Hey Italy, have a free trial of our SaaS product' [0] hands down. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22535402 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22535402
  - kuraudoOishii 7y ago
- ekianjo 7y ago
  So you are expecting to go thru a crisis and things to run by themselves? Essential parts of supply chain and healthcare are working overtime for the sake of us all.
greentrust 7y ago
The same people shaming Amazon and Fedex are probably the same people buying a ton of goods online for delivery and getting upset about the delays.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
wiredone 7y ago
Knowing how many people rely on Amazon for their purchases, it seems like they're doing the right thing to keep everyone moving during this craziness.
CivBase 7y ago
I doubt Amazon warehouses represent a significant transmission vector and what little threat there may be is largely outweighed by the good these warehouses are doing to help with the situation. I also doubt Amazon employs many elderly or high-risk individuals as warehouse workers. I also doubt they would refuse to make exceptions for those workers. Right about now, I'd just be happy for the job security because the coming recession is going to be rough.
- clawedjird 7y ago
  What job security? If a drawn out recession develops and is truly “rough,” warehouse workers will simply be let go. There are few jobs with less job security than warehouse work.
  - huffmsa 7y ago
    Amazon's delivery network is almost to the point of being a public utility. It's not going anywhere.
    - dzamie 7y ago
      Yes, that means that "Amazon delivery person" is a job that will continue existing. It does not mean it will have the same person in it.
- crooked-v 7y ago
  > I doubt Amazon warehouses represent a significant transmission vector Well, we know that COVID-19 can survive up to 24 hours on cardboard. That actually gives a simple way to avoid outgoing spread: make sure items don't begin shipping, or don't leave the truck, for at least 30 hours from packaging. It means no 2-day shipping, but I think even "fast" shipping times are at something like a week for most people right now, so that's not much of a problem.
  - djannzjkzxn 7y ago
    Everything I’m buying on Amazon now has delivery dates four days or more out, whereas in normal times it’s one or two days. Maybe they are quarantining packages. Or they could just be backed up due to increased demand.
ouid 7y ago
No, Amazon is providing an absolutely critical service in this time.
- Red_Leaves_Flyy 7y ago
  Wal-Mart, Sears, Costco, target, dollar general, Sam's Club, etc could do the same thing. FedEx, ups, and USPS aren't beholden to Amazon. Likewise, how hard would it be for grub hub and the like to detail their drivers to make last mile deliveries from local stores? I'm serious. Is it 1000 work hours or 10,000,000? Hell if I get laid off I'll need work and slinging boxes out of my suv is as easy as it gets while providing a valuable service in a crisis.
  - traskjd 7y ago
    “FedEx, ups, and USPS aren't beholden to Amazon” You might have missed the memo there.
- ldng 7y ago
  Not really. Unless it is delivering food IMO. Maybe in the US but in EU, it is not.
  - maw 7y ago
    It doesn't take much to put together an argument that keeping people from going stir-crazy in their homes is critical.
    - ldng 7y ago
      Let's be real here, Amazon, the online shop, is not "absolutely critical". If they closed today for 15 days, a lot of people will not even notice. Unless you are a shopping, in which case, well that would be a great time for a desintox and expand your world view :-)
planetzero 7y ago
Most people during the depression wouldn't have complained about getting paid to work too many hours.
- djsumdog 7y ago
  It's backbreaking work. Most people still complain, but work because they have to. It's not a choice for many.
Apocryphon 7y ago
> Amazon said it would increase hourly wages by $2 in the US, £2 in the UK, and €2 in Europe. The company said it expects the pay rises expected to cost it more than $350m (£285m). Seems like they could afford to pay them more.
- tathougies 7y ago
  They're also likely making more now than before as more people switch to online shopping.
aabeshou 7y ago
okay but they're only raising wages by $2. It's disgusting. Jeff Bezos makes millions of dollars an hour. no bootlicking responses please
- djsumdog 7y ago
  I don't get the Amazon love on here either. I stopped shopping off Amazon in 2016 (I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart in 2009) and only use AWS because I have to for work. I don't really think Amazon, or even AWS for that matter, has been a collective good for society or tech. It's just locked people into using them for the default. Easy/frictionless goods and web service infrastructure might seem like a step up, but it locks you in as well.
- wiredone 7y ago
  Why is it disgusting? They gave everyone a wage increase, and they already pay above minimums. Also, Jeff doesn't make millions an hour, he gets paid in stock. Stock is not cash, and is not a form of liquidity. In addition, $AMZN has dropped 20% in the past month, so by your math he's been "losing" money. Get off your high horse and get real - there's about to be a recession, and they're hiring people who are out of a job AND paying them extra while they ensure people have a way to get vital goods while staying indoors and minimizing spread. This whole "they're evil" bs is tiring and lazy.
  - aabeshou 7y ago
    no, what's tiring and lazy (and yes, evil) is the idea that the peons at the bottom should be grateful for what the people at the top, who hoard 99% of the world's wealth, can get away with paying them. $15/hour is hardly living large, and a $2 bump is insulting
makecheck 7y ago
Hopefully they are also putting in strong guards to ensure that these extra shipments truly are life-saving supplies. My worry is that (if local store shelves are any indication) they’re just shipping paranoid people 800 rolls of toilet paper. And it’s terrible that warehouse employees will be basically strained to the breaking point to make up for selfishness and uneducated masses.
techaddict009 7y ago
As per this article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-amazon-suspends-delivery-shipments-stock-price-a9406951.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronaviru... Amazon is suspending shipment of all products except daily staples and medicines.

102 points by NoB4Mouth 7y ago

dlgeek 7y ago

Dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22604866 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22604866

Kunigaikstis 7y ago

So you're saying Amazon has a toxic work culture? What a surprise

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
BurningFrog 7y ago
Or Amazon has an important role in the new Virus Economy, and is stepping up to do its part.
- z3ncyberpunk 7y ago
  Once again at the expense of the worker.
  - btmiller 7y ago
    And what exactly is the alternative in this very specific example?
  - burnte 7y ago
    Yes, the time-and-a-half overtime paid worker.
  - nkassis 7y ago
    What's worse, stores having mass of people going in and out or a restricted set of workers they can try to keep apart? Right now, yes those workers are at greater danger than not working (and maybe they deserve extra pay here) but I would argue that for the public good Amazon better than in person stores at the moment.
  - jeherr 7y ago
    People ordering off of Amazon prevents them from having to go to brick and mortar stores where they could also spread or catch the virus. This includes the elderly who are in the highest risk groups for the disease. Most if not all Amazon warehouse workers are significantly less likely to be in high risk groups, meaning they are much more likely to have milder symptoms if they do catch it. Sure it sucks for those who work for Amazon, ideally they should be given a choice, but people are not going to stop buying things if Amazon is way behind and orders are looking at a week or two shipment time. They'll go out in public to stores full of other people. This seems like the lesser evil of two bad options to me.
  - throw_m239339 7y ago
    I mean, you are on where you are, Most people here are all about "entrepreneurship", adore Bezos, Kalanick, Musk, "disruption", despise unions by a large majority, believe in "the right to work" and care very little about menial worker conditions and class warfare. You'd be on another sort of forum you'd hear a very different tune. So it is to be expected. Be smart bind your time and then s*bvert.
- robodale 7y ago
  Wow, the "Virus Economy". Is that the term emerging now? It's still sinking in with me...that this is our new reality.
commandlinefan 7y ago
It looks like they are paying for the extra hours, at least.
natalyarostova 7y ago
(Disclaimer: I work at Amazon). We have a world class supply-chain. This is a moment when the US, and the world, 100% must have a functioning supply chain. I'm proud of the work we're doing to keep things running under unusual stress.
- misiti3780 7y ago
  as you should be.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
  I don't work at Amazon, but I'm incredibly grateful for its existence right now and the work it is doing. I can't help but think that almost everyone in the American populace feels likewise, except some politically motivated grousing from certain groups.
  - jschwartzi 7y ago
    Yeah I'd be the first guy to take a crap on Amazon, but you're right about this. We need a functioning supply chain or we'll have civil unrest soon and having a company taking care of that at a time when nearly everything else is closing is good. I also really appreciate the few stories of them cracking down on profiteers since resource scarcity is a big part of why people feel stressed out right now.
- OJFord 7y ago
  Claimer* , or disclosure*. But other than that, agreed, good job; I saw earlier about not restocking non-essentials, to focus on higher demand for less discretionary items, that's bound to cause some frustration, but it's good to see - since those are presumably the less profitable lines too. Also in excellent Corporate Social Responsibility this week is LVMH, reconfiguring perfume production lines to produce hand sanitiser for France, for free. Beats 'Hey Italy, have a free trial of our SaaS product' [0] hands down. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22535402 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22535402
- kuraudoOishii 7y ago
ekianjo 7y ago
So you are expecting to go thru a crisis and things to run by themselves? Essential parts of supply chain and healthcare are working overtime for the sake of us all.

greentrust 7y ago

The same people shaming Amazon and Fedex are probably the same people buying a ton of goods online for delivery and getting upset about the delays.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

wiredone 7y ago

Knowing how many people rely on Amazon for their purchases, it seems like they're doing the right thing to keep everyone moving during this craziness.

CivBase 7y ago

I doubt Amazon warehouses represent a significant transmission vector and what little threat there may be is largely outweighed by the good these warehouses are doing to help with the situation. I also doubt Amazon employs many elderly or high-risk individuals as warehouse workers. I also doubt they would refuse to make exceptions for those workers. Right about now, I'd just be happy for the job security because the coming recession is going to be rough.

clawedjird 7y ago
What job security? If a drawn out recession develops and is truly “rough,” warehouse workers will simply be let go. There are few jobs with less job security than warehouse work.
- huffmsa 7y ago
  Amazon's delivery network is almost to the point of being a public utility. It's not going anywhere.
  - dzamie 7y ago
    Yes, that means that "Amazon delivery person" is a job that will continue existing. It does not mean it will have the same person in it.
crooked-v 7y ago
> I doubt Amazon warehouses represent a significant transmission vector Well, we know that COVID-19 can survive up to 24 hours on cardboard. That actually gives a simple way to avoid outgoing spread: make sure items don't begin shipping, or don't leave the truck, for at least 30 hours from packaging. It means no 2-day shipping, but I think even "fast" shipping times are at something like a week for most people right now, so that's not much of a problem.
- djannzjkzxn 7y ago
  Everything I’m buying on Amazon now has delivery dates four days or more out, whereas in normal times it’s one or two days. Maybe they are quarantining packages. Or they could just be backed up due to increased demand.

ouid 7y ago

No, Amazon is providing an absolutely critical service in this time.

Red_Leaves_Flyy 7y ago
Wal-Mart, Sears, Costco, target, dollar general, Sam's Club, etc could do the same thing. FedEx, ups, and USPS aren't beholden to Amazon. Likewise, how hard would it be for grub hub and the like to detail their drivers to make last mile deliveries from local stores? I'm serious. Is it 1000 work hours or 10,000,000? Hell if I get laid off I'll need work and slinging boxes out of my suv is as easy as it gets while providing a valuable service in a crisis.
- traskjd 7y ago
  “FedEx, ups, and USPS aren't beholden to Amazon” You might have missed the memo there.
ldng 7y ago
Not really. Unless it is delivering food IMO. Maybe in the US but in EU, it is not.
- maw 7y ago
  It doesn't take much to put together an argument that keeping people from going stir-crazy in their homes is critical.
  - ldng 7y ago
    Let's be real here, Amazon, the online shop, is not "absolutely critical". If they closed today for 15 days, a lot of people will not even notice. Unless you are a shopping, in which case, well that would be a great time for a desintox and expand your world view :-)

planetzero 7y ago

Most people during the depression wouldn't have complained about getting paid to work too many hours.

djsumdog 7y ago
It's backbreaking work. Most people still complain, but work because they have to. It's not a choice for many.

Apocryphon 7y ago

> Amazon said it would increase hourly wages by $2 in the US, £2 in the UK, and €2 in Europe. The company said it expects the pay rises expected to cost it more than $350m (£285m). Seems like they could afford to pay them more.

tathougies 7y ago
They're also likely making more now than before as more people switch to online shopping.

aabeshou 7y ago

okay but they're only raising wages by $2. It's disgusting. Jeff Bezos makes millions of dollars an hour. no bootlicking responses please

djsumdog 7y ago
I don't get the Amazon love on here either. I stopped shopping off Amazon in 2016 (I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart in 2009) and only use AWS because I have to for work. I don't really think Amazon, or even AWS for that matter, has been a collective good for society or tech. It's just locked people into using them for the default. Easy/frictionless goods and web service infrastructure might seem like a step up, but it locks you in as well.
wiredone 7y ago
Why is it disgusting? They gave everyone a wage increase, and they already pay above minimums. Also, Jeff doesn't make millions an hour, he gets paid in stock. Stock is not cash, and is not a form of liquidity. In addition, $AMZN has dropped 20% in the past month, so by your math he's been "losing" money. Get off your high horse and get real - there's about to be a recession, and they're hiring people who are out of a job AND paying them extra while they ensure people have a way to get vital goods while staying indoors and minimizing spread. This whole "they're evil" bs is tiring and lazy.
- aabeshou 7y ago
  no, what's tiring and lazy (and yes, evil) is the idea that the peons at the bottom should be grateful for what the people at the top, who hoard 99% of the world's wealth, can get away with paying them. $15/hour is hardly living large, and a $2 bump is insulting

makecheck 7y ago

Hopefully they are also putting in strong guards to ensure that these extra shipments truly are life-saving supplies. My worry is that (if local store shelves are any indication) they’re just shipping paranoid people 800 rolls of toilet paper. And it’s terrible that warehouse employees will be basically strained to the breaking point to make up for selfishness and uneducated masses.

techaddict009 7y ago

As per this article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-amazon-suspends-delivery-shipments-stock-price-a9406951.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronaviru... Amazon is suspending shipment of all products except daily staples and medicines.