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It's also worth pointing out under (the old) normal conditions Amazon warehouse workers already had to put their health and wellbeing at risk every shift. I'm n
by mattacular 7y ago
It's also worth pointing out under (the old) normal conditions Amazon warehouse workers already had to put their health and wellbeing at risk every shift. I'm not familiar with health benefits for the average Amazon distribution center worker but I hope they get something more than BezosBux to spend at whatever urgent care operator happens to be a sister company.
Amazon has always exploited its labor force; that's why they are in the position to dial things up as needed to meet demand surges.
- krapp 7y agoAmazon's health benefits are actually quite good for entry level positions. Those benefits are a big reason Amazon's warehouse workers put up with the low wages and exploitation, at least in the US.
- dangus 7y agoAnd that’s the disgusting part of our system. We can’t switch jobs or start a business because our health and well being is tied up with an employer. It’s possible that switching jobs means switching doctors or foregoing care. And I’d say that the worst part about employers subsidizing healthcare is that they gladly do it because it’s essentially untaxed salary. If my employer wasn’t allowed to subsidize healthcare, they’d have to pay me more and that extra pay would be subject to payroll tax. So the whole system incentivizes employers to lobby for this terrible system of employer-based private for-profit health insurance. Big companies love it because it’s a way in which they can trap employees and snuff out competition from smaller businesses.
- erik_seaberg 7y agoI'm not sure how glad. Health insurance is a cost center, your employer probably has no competitive advantage in getting it, and employees seem to undervalue it (everyone who starts COBRA is shocked how expensive the coverage always was).
- BurningFrog 7y agoAmazon provides perfectly good blue collar jobs. That woke academics see physical labor as hell says a lot about them, and about the disconnect between these entirely separate communities.
- bobthechef 7y agoI'd like to balance all of this concern for the worker with a broader perspective. Consider that business isn't charity. If Amazon made a promise to deliver in 2 days, and I'm paying for that benefit, doesn't that mean I have the right to demand that benefit or be compensated? Does a pandemic mean that Amazon has the right to profit at my expense? Isn't it a bit self-centered to say "Well, I can afford to toss money away on Prime membership without reaping the benefits, therefore anyone can"? What about those who rely on Prime membership and use it heavily but aren't rich enough to waste money on a service that isn't provided? Now if normal delivery endangers the health and lives of deliverymen, then would it not make sense to ask for compensation from Amazon?
- res0nat0r 7y agoOnly if your refund doesn't go to you but directly in the pockets of the workers, then yes.
- lonelappde 7y agoWhy would I pay Amazon's workers for not delivering on managements promise? The entrepreneur should pay. Management should pay the workers to work, and only take money from customers for services delivered as promised. If Prime prices go up after current contracts expire, that's fine. Jeff Bezos doesn't need my charity.
- res0nat0r 7y agoHN bubble in full effect right here. Congrats on your privileged life right now friend.
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