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This might sound very naive but there is a huge worker shortage out there, so if working in an Amazon warehouse is so bad why do people do it?

spaetzleesser 5y ago
Because a lot of people are happy to have any job. You need some level of understanding of the market and qualifications to be able to pick better jobs. And if you have worked in bad jobs for a while you probably don’t even know that things are better somewhere else. The same happens in higher qualified jobs too. Why do so many programmers work in abusive companies while there are better companies out there? Maybe they lack the initiative, qualifications or just understanding to apply at better companies. Whatever it is, the fact that people go for those jobs shouldn’t be an excuse for abuse by employers. Otherwise we could tell abused spouses the abuse is ok because they should have left if they don’t like it.
throw_m239339 5y ago
> This might sound very naive but there is a huge jobs shortage out there, so if working in an Amazon warehouse is so bad why do people do it? You're assuming that people can relocate on a whim, considering the rental prices right now? If an Amazon warehouse is what pays the most at a 30 miles distance, that's where people are going to go. The "job shortage" isn't distributed equally on the surface of USA either.
- ottermax8 5y ago
  any data on that?
  - triceratops 5y ago
    Data on what? "Relocation is unpleasant, time-consuming, and expensive"? "Jobs aren't equally distributed geographically"?
rtkwe 5y ago
Worker shortages mostly seem to exist in service industry jobs that are also kind of shitty to work in and are low pay.
dtech 5y ago
skill, location, availability of jobs nearby. Surely you can think of a hundred more reason why it would be the least-worse choice even if it sucks
dfxm12 5y ago
Because the social safety net in the US basically requires one to work a job (with Senators even arguing for work requirements for the child tax credit!). Employers are in on this as well, so they know they can offer the bare minimum in terms of salary, safety, benefits, etc. It also takes a lot of resources (time + money) to get the skills necessary to enter a profession or some skilled labor job. tl; dr: The alternatives are often another similarly poor job, losing whatever paltry support the government is providing, and/or being one medical condition away from financial ruin.
pietrovismara 5y ago
Not naive, rather privileged.
convexfunction 5y ago
A slightly different but related question that hopefully everyone will find interesting, no matter what affect they attach to Amazon warehouse working conditions: Food service in particular, I think, is having a lot more difficulty hiring and retaining people than they're used to, even with considerably higher wages and hiring bonuses, but if you believe what you read in the news then it sounds like Amazon warehouses aren't (otherwise you'd think they'd ease up a little on being hardasses). These aren't exactly the same type of job, but they're "pretty similar" in many ways. So, what's the difference?
- alistairSH 5y ago
  The warehouse potentially pays more... $18/hour starting wage in the warehouse. $11-$17/hour starting wage at McDonalds. Location is a factor. Some of the warehouses are located in the far outer suburbs, making them the largest employer in some areas/towns.
- jpindar 5y ago
  Amazon (along with most warehouse and factory jobs) probably hires people for full time jobs with predictable hours, which retail and food service jobs generally don't.

spaetzleesser 5y ago

Because a lot of people are happy to have any job. You need some level of understanding of the market and qualifications to be able to pick better jobs. And if you have worked in bad jobs for a while you probably don’t even know that things are better somewhere else. The same happens in higher qualified jobs too. Why do so many programmers work in abusive companies while there are better companies out there? Maybe they lack the initiative, qualifications or just understanding to apply at better companies. Whatever it is, the fact that people go for those jobs shouldn’t be an excuse for abuse by employers. Otherwise we could tell abused spouses the abuse is ok because they should have left if they don’t like it.

throw_m239339 5y ago

> This might sound very naive but there is a huge jobs shortage out there, so if working in an Amazon warehouse is so bad why do people do it? You're assuming that people can relocate on a whim, considering the rental prices right now? If an Amazon warehouse is what pays the most at a 30 miles distance, that's where people are going to go. The "job shortage" isn't distributed equally on the surface of USA either.

ottermax8 5y ago
any data on that?
- triceratops 5y ago
  Data on what? "Relocation is unpleasant, time-consuming, and expensive"? "Jobs aren't equally distributed geographically"?

rtkwe 5y ago

Worker shortages mostly seem to exist in service industry jobs that are also kind of shitty to work in and are low pay.

dtech 5y ago

skill, location, availability of jobs nearby. Surely you can think of a hundred more reason why it would be the least-worse choice even if it sucks

dfxm12 5y ago

Because the social safety net in the US basically requires one to work a job (with Senators even arguing for work requirements for the child tax credit!). Employers are in on this as well, so they know they can offer the bare minimum in terms of salary, safety, benefits, etc. It also takes a lot of resources (time + money) to get the skills necessary to enter a profession or some skilled labor job. tl; dr: The alternatives are often another similarly poor job, losing whatever paltry support the government is providing, and/or being one medical condition away from financial ruin.

pietrovismara 5y ago

Not naive, rather privileged.

convexfunction 5y ago

A slightly different but related question that hopefully everyone will find interesting, no matter what affect they attach to Amazon warehouse working conditions: Food service in particular, I think, is having a lot more difficulty hiring and retaining people than they're used to, even with considerably higher wages and hiring bonuses, but if you believe what you read in the news then it sounds like Amazon warehouses aren't (otherwise you'd think they'd ease up a little on being hardasses). These aren't exactly the same type of job, but they're "pretty similar" in many ways. So, what's the difference?

alistairSH 5y ago
The warehouse potentially pays more... $18/hour starting wage in the warehouse. $11-$17/hour starting wage at McDonalds. Location is a factor. Some of the warehouses are located in the far outer suburbs, making them the largest employer in some areas/towns.
jpindar 5y ago
Amazon (along with most warehouse and factory jobs) probably hires people for full time jobs with predictable hours, which retail and food service jobs generally don't.