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Amazon dropped drug testing for delivery drivers. Maybe they’re just feeling kind. More likely: they’re having trouble finding people to become delivery drive

Amazon dropped drug testing for delivery drivers. Maybe they’re just feeling kind. More likely: they’re having trouble finding people to become delivery drivers. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/update-on-our-vision-to-be-earths-best-employer-and-earths-safest-place-to-work https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/update-on-our-vi...

lotsofpulp 5y ago
Amazon does not employ delivery drivers. They recently suggested to the delivery companies they pay to deliver packages to homes not drug test in order to find drivers. I assume the drivers Amazon employs are actual truck drivers under the purview of the Department of Transportion, and are probably still drug tested to satisfy whatever federal requirements they have to satisfy. > We will no longer include marijuana in our comprehensive drug screening program for any positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation, and will instead treat it the same as alcohol use.
- nostromo 5y ago
  The policy applies to employees and contractors. Most of their drivers are not long-haul, but last mile delivery.
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    According to this article, the last mile deliveries are made by drivers employed by what they Amazon calls Delivery Service Partners: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-05/amazon-work-rules-govern-tweets-body-odor-of-contract-drivers https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-05/amazon-wo... According to this article, Amazon is suggesting the companies they pay to make the home deliveries to skip marijuana testing in order to find more drivers: https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-09-01/amazons-answer-to-delivery-driver-shortage-recruit-pot-smokers https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-09-01... The distinction is important because Amazon seems to be wanting the companies they pay to make the home deliveries to pick up possible liabilities from not testing drivers for marijuana use, but it is not clear if Amazon has chosen to accept that liability as well.
    - throwawayboise 5y ago
      The people driving vans painted with Amazon logos, who are working hours dictated by Amazon, who are delivering parcels at Amazon's instruction, and who are not delivering parcels for anyone else, are not Amazon employees? I guess the IRS rules on "contractor or employee" must have changed.
- a3n 5y ago
  I kind of don't think local van delivery drivers are DOT regulated. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=do+you+need+a+cdl+to+drive+for+Amazon&t=fpas&ia=places https://duckduckgo.com/?q=do+you+need+a+cdl+to+drive+for+Ama... The people under Amazon's purview that are DOT regulated would be CDL holders driving semi trucks and similar. Those are strictly drug and alcohol regulated, with fed mandated preemployment and ongoing random tests.
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    That is what I wrote, but I specified that the local van delivery drivers are not employed by Amazon, so Amazon not testing them for marijuana is a moot point.
    - a3n 5y ago
      Yep, I misread.
- lmm 5y ago
  > Amazon does not employ delivery drivers. Right, they have a pass-through setup where they dodge liability by employing them through nominally independent companies. They're still in full control over their employment conditions in practice.

lotsofpulp 5y ago

Amazon does not employ delivery drivers. They recently suggested to the delivery companies they pay to deliver packages to homes not drug test in order to find drivers. I assume the drivers Amazon employs are actual truck drivers under the purview of the Department of Transportion, and are probably still drug tested to satisfy whatever federal requirements they have to satisfy. > We will no longer include marijuana in our comprehensive drug screening program for any positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation, and will instead treat it the same as alcohol use.

nostromo 5y ago
The policy applies to employees and contractors. Most of their drivers are not long-haul, but last mile delivery.
- lotsofpulp 5y ago
  According to this article, the last mile deliveries are made by drivers employed by what they Amazon calls Delivery Service Partners: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-05/amazon-work-rules-govern-tweets-body-odor-of-contract-drivers https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-05/amazon-wo... According to this article, Amazon is suggesting the companies they pay to make the home deliveries to skip marijuana testing in order to find more drivers: https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-09-01/amazons-answer-to-delivery-driver-shortage-recruit-pot-smokers https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-09-01... The distinction is important because Amazon seems to be wanting the companies they pay to make the home deliveries to pick up possible liabilities from not testing drivers for marijuana use, but it is not clear if Amazon has chosen to accept that liability as well.
  - throwawayboise 5y ago
    The people driving vans painted with Amazon logos, who are working hours dictated by Amazon, who are delivering parcels at Amazon's instruction, and who are not delivering parcels for anyone else, are not Amazon employees? I guess the IRS rules on "contractor or employee" must have changed.
a3n 5y ago
I kind of don't think local van delivery drivers are DOT regulated. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=do+you+need+a+cdl+to+drive+for+Amazon&t=fpas&ia=places https://duckduckgo.com/?q=do+you+need+a+cdl+to+drive+for+Ama... The people under Amazon's purview that are DOT regulated would be CDL holders driving semi trucks and similar. Those are strictly drug and alcohol regulated, with fed mandated preemployment and ongoing random tests.
- lotsofpulp 5y ago
  That is what I wrote, but I specified that the local van delivery drivers are not employed by Amazon, so Amazon not testing them for marijuana is a moot point.
  - a3n 5y ago
    Yep, I misread.
lmm 5y ago
> Amazon does not employ delivery drivers. Right, they have a pass-through setup where they dodge liability by employing them through nominally independent companies. They're still in full control over their employment conditions in practice.