4 ms·

My question is: How is this benefitting Amazon? Which I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on why. Is it a competitive/recruiting move to have unskilled wo

by jppope 5y ago

My question is: How is this benefitting Amazon? Which I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on why. Is it a competitive/recruiting move to have unskilled workers prefer working for Amazon over Walmart/Target? Do they believe it will increase employee retention? There must be some business reason, otherwise they wouldn't lobby they would just allow it.

gre 5y ago
Buy Legal Weed at amazon.com
brendoelfrendo 5y ago
Weed is popular with middle/upper-middle class millennial techies, especially in liberal states like Amazon's home state of Washington. I doubt Amazon cares all that much about unskilled workers, they're hoping this will make them a more attractive home for tech talent.
- perl4ever 5y ago
  Even with security clearances, there's been some effort at compromise for quite a while.
milkytron 5y ago
> How is this benefiting Amazon? Larger candidate pools is probably the biggest thing. But they might also realize that drug tests for weed aren't really that great because it stays in our bodies for so long compared to other drugs that could be used on a Friday night, and not show up in a drug test taken on the following Monday. > Is it a competitive/recruiting move to have unskilled workers prefer working for Amazon over Walmart/Target? Having people prefer to work at Amazon is a plus, this goes back to the larger candidate pool. > Do they believe it will increase employee retention? I can't speak on their behalf, but it could if an employee prefers to work for a company that does not drug test them for cannabis. If their other potential employers are drug testing for cannabis, it's an incentive for the employee to stay.
petee 5y ago
I think just trying to buy back public goodwill, since its all been pretty negative lately; drivers peeing in bottles, unionbusting, etc. By 'connecting' with the hip youth it'll save their reputation long term. And pot has strong support now, so they are really just jumping on the bandwagon at the last minute for looks
yojo 5y ago
I assume they have to pay for the testing. Search suggest ~$30/test/person. Not sure how many tests per year, 4? With 1m+ workers that’s a decent sized budget line item.
- mtnGoat 5y ago
  its ~$1 if you do them in bulk.
PeterisP 5y ago
IMHO large numbers of the unskilled workers working for Amazon aren't Amazon employees but rather from various contracting companies; so when Amazon talks about "employees" it's less about people in warehouses or delivery vans but more about people who build and maintain AWS.
mtnGoat 5y ago
In states where cannabis is legal, testing is going out the window. More then anything i would guess it is to stay competitive and to get rid of archaic policies this country appears to be moving away from. i think most US citizens now live without criminal marijuana laws. Employees at my local Home Depot here in Washington, openly wear clothing that carries obvious cannabis related brands, imagery, and wording. I am seeing it more and more in other F500 type companies as well.

by jppope 5y ago

gre 5y ago

Buy Legal Weed at amazon.com

brendoelfrendo 5y ago

Weed is popular with middle/upper-middle class millennial techies, especially in liberal states like Amazon's home state of Washington. I doubt Amazon cares all that much about unskilled workers, they're hoping this will make them a more attractive home for tech talent.

perl4ever 5y ago
Even with security clearances, there's been some effort at compromise for quite a while.

milkytron 5y ago

> How is this benefiting Amazon? Larger candidate pools is probably the biggest thing. But they might also realize that drug tests for weed aren't really that great because it stays in our bodies for so long compared to other drugs that could be used on a Friday night, and not show up in a drug test taken on the following Monday. > Is it a competitive/recruiting move to have unskilled workers prefer working for Amazon over Walmart/Target? Having people prefer to work at Amazon is a plus, this goes back to the larger candidate pool. > Do they believe it will increase employee retention? I can't speak on their behalf, but it could if an employee prefers to work for a company that does not drug test them for cannabis. If their other potential employers are drug testing for cannabis, it's an incentive for the employee to stay.

petee 5y ago

I think just trying to buy back public goodwill, since its all been pretty negative lately; drivers peeing in bottles, unionbusting, etc. By 'connecting' with the hip youth it'll save their reputation long term. And pot has strong support now, so they are really just jumping on the bandwagon at the last minute for looks

yojo 5y ago

I assume they have to pay for the testing. Search suggest ~$30/test/person. Not sure how many tests per year, 4? With 1m+ workers that’s a decent sized budget line item.

mtnGoat 5y ago
its ~$1 if you do them in bulk.

PeterisP 5y ago

IMHO large numbers of the unskilled workers working for Amazon aren't Amazon employees but rather from various contracting companies; so when Amazon talks about "employees" it's less about people in warehouses or delivery vans but more about people who build and maintain AWS.

mtnGoat 5y ago

In states where cannabis is legal, testing is going out the window. More then anything i would guess it is to stay competitive and to get rid of archaic policies this country appears to be moving away from. i think most US citizens now live without criminal marijuana laws. Employees at my local Home Depot here in Washington, openly wear clothing that carries obvious cannabis related brands, imagery, and wording. I am seeing it more and more in other F500 type companies as well.