A new report reveals warehouse workers are suffering under oppressive working conditions amid record company profits.
If you want to better understand working conditions at Amazon—one of the largest private employers in the U.S.—look no further than the giant warehouses where workers sort and package what people buy off the platform.
Physical exhaustion, work-related injuries, and mental health concerns are just some of the risks posed by these high-pressure environments. And a new Oxfam report reveals the brutal costs of Amazon’s sophisticated surveillance tactics that constantly track workers from when they come to work to when they leave.
“I left Amazon because my body couldn’t handle it anymore,” said Melissa Ojeda, a former warehouse worker.
At Oxfam, we fight inequality and have defended workers’ rights for years. So, we're going to share with you what it’s like to work at Amazon, what surveillance practices are used to keep tabs on workers, and what you can do about it.
How does Amazon treat its employees?
Amazon warehouse workers are anxious, depressed, and burned out. Nearly three quarters report feeling pressure to work faster. More than half report that the pace of work makes it hard for them to use the bathroom. In Amazon warehouses, production standards—not people—reign supreme.
Other findings from Oxfam’s report—which includes the largest collective survey of both Amazon and Walmart warehouse workers focused specifically on technology and surveillance in the U.S. to date—include:
- 53 percent of Amazon warehouse workers “feel a sense of being watched or monitored in [their] work” always or most of the time. Importantly, the group that report feeling that they are watched always in the highest numbers was Black women (60 percent).
- 56 percent of Amazon workers felt anxious or depressed at least several days over the previous two weeks.
- Latinx women workers experienced the highest rates of exhaustion (64 percent), injury (49 percent), and heat stress (44 percent) out of any group.
Women—especially women of color—consistently reported experiencing more adverse effects than their male and white counterparts across various metrics related to pain, safety, and health outcomes.
“It's so bad I have to psych myself and pray to go to work,” said one Amazon warehouse worker in North Carolina. “I hate going in there because they treat and they talk to you like you’re not human, like you don’t matter.”
What surveillance practices track workers at Amazon?
Amazon uses sophisticated surveillance to track what workers do down to the finest detail. The company uses these systems to drive relentless productivity from their warehouse workers, under the guise that it’s making workers safer. But workers report feeling pressure to work at an unreasonably fast pace as a result.
The constant pressure to keep up with inhuman, unsustainable productivity standards places an oppressive ‘cognitive tax’ on workers who fear punishment for “time off task.” This metric tracks down to the second the time a worker spends not actively sorting, packing, or performing work while on the clock.
As a result, warehouse floors have become incubators of injury, sustained by automation, surveillance, and workplace cultures of intimidation.
“It's almost like you're treated like a criminal...” said another Amazon worker in North Carolina. “It's constant surveillance. And then when you leave out of the building, like you have to take your hat off, search through your bags, on and on and on.”
How can Amazon improve working conditions?
Amazon’s success does not have to come at the expense of its workers. Corporations can make profits while prioritizing long-term productivity and sustainability, and lawmakers can write new rules that establish fair and reasonable standards for how companies like Amazon treat their workers.
Oxfam urges Amazon to commit to concrete measures supporting worker health and safety, including:
- Cease or significantly reform the use of electronic surveillance to enforce unreasonable and/or unsafe production demands (including but not limited to the use of so-called “Time Off Task” procedures).
- Conduct a human rights impact assessment of working conditions inside U.S. warehouses that includes a gender and racial justice lens for all issues uncovered.
- Publicly disclose the rate of worker injury claims and improve on-site medical care.
- Maintain a neutral stance on union activity by workers and respect their rights to freedom of association.
Conclusion
Amazon’s unsustainable business model relies on labor exploitation to thrive, and workers are suffering as a result. The retail titan’s electronic regimes of measurement, surveillance, discipline, and data collection are stifling worker voice and significantly harm worker health, safety, and well-being.
Amazon and Walmart—the two largest private companies in the U.S.—are making record profits on the backs of their warehouse workers. It’s time they both prioritize the well-being of their workers and the health of their communities.
FAQs
Amazon reviews FAQs
Amazon has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 212,755 reviews left anonymously by employees. 67% of employees would recommend working at Amazon to a friend and 62% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months.
Is Amazon a stressful place to work? ›
56 percent of Amazon workers felt anxious or depressed at least several days over the previous two weeks. Latinx women workers experienced the highest rates of exhaustion (64 percent), injury (49 percent), and heat stress (44 percent) out of any group.
Does Amazon actually pay well? ›
The average Amazon.com salary ranges from approximately $31,913 per year for Certified Pharmacy Technician to $181,113 per year for Senior Business Development. Average Amazon.com hourly pay ranges from approximately $14.97 per hour for Financial Accountant to $54.77 per hour for Full Stack Developer.
Is it easy to get hired in Amazon? ›
How Hard Is It to Land a Job at Amazon? It is hard to get a job at Amazon, especially in a technical role. Since Amazon is such a large company, it can be a very competitive job market. There is quite an intense job application and interview process, so you will need to find a way to stand out to the hiring managers.
Are Amazon workers underpaid? ›
Warehouse workers in high-earning Amazon counties make 30 percent less than average earnings for all workers in those counties. That's unsurprising, considering that these are high-earning counties; in a high-earning county, of course a warehouse worker will earn less than the average worker.
Is it hot working at Amazon? ›
The heat dome is creating sweltering working conditions for Amazon fulfillment centers. A union organizer at one northeast warehouse clocked indoor temperatures in the 90s.
How often do Amazon employees quit? ›
It also says that the issue is widespread throughout the company, not just with warehouse workers; from entry level roles all the way up to vice presidents, the lowest attrition rate for one of the company's 10 tiers of employees was almost 70 percent, with the highest reaching a staggering 81.3 percent.
Does Amazon pay you to quit? ›
The program, called Pay to Quit, offers Amazon workers who aren't committed to their jobs $2,000 in severance pay in the first year of employment, going up to $5,000 in the fourth year.
How long do most employees stay at Amazon? ›
Top Ten Statistics (Editor's Picks)
- Amazon's 2022 annual worldwide employee count was 1,541,000.
- Employee gender: 44.8% of Amazon employees are women and 55.2% men.
- Employee ethnicity: 30.2% of Amazon employees are White. ...
- The average Amazon worker made $64,805 in 2023.
- Employees stayed with Amazon for 2.7 years on average.
Why does Amazon pay so low? ›
“Amazon has gotten away with such low pay for incredibly grueling work by taking advantage of people's economic vulnerability and the lack of job opportunities in many places around the country.
The average Amazon hourly pay ranges from approximately $16 per hour (estimate) for a Field Worker to $248 per hour (estimate) for a Chief Operating Officer. Amazon employees rate the overall compensation and benefits package 3.8/5 stars.
Which job is best in Amazon? ›
Average Amazon Salary For 6 Top Jobs
- Amazon Product Manager. ...
- Amazon Program Manager. ...
- Amazon Business Analyst. ...
- Amazon MBA Pathways Operation Manager. ...
- Amazon Financial Analyst. ...
- Amazon Operations Manager. ...
- 10 Best MBA Programs For Tech Jobs In 2024.
What are the odds of getting hired at Amazon? ›
At Amazon, the acceptance rate falls below 2%, further emphasizing the highly competitive nature of the application process.
How long does it take to start work at Amazon? ›
Amazon's hiring process can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. If you are looking for a senior position, you can expect it to take a long time.
Do Amazon employees enjoy their jobs? ›
Good Job with Good benefits. As long as you come and ready to work and protect the customer promise, you will enjoy your time with the company. They also provide good benefits.
Are there benefits to working at Amazon? ›
You can get a range of great benefits that support you and eligible family members — including domestic partners and children. These can include health benefits, paid time off, ways to save for the future, and other resources to improve your health and well-being.
Is Amazon a safe company to work for? ›
According to state labor regulators, the working conditions at Amazon expose its staff to an increased risk of injury, especially musclular and skeletal injuries. These workers sustain this kind of injury because they awkwardly twist and bend when moving goods in the warehouse.
What is the best part of working at Amazon? ›
10 reasons why Amazon is a great place to work
- Exciting Career Paths.
- Employee Benefits.
- A diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.
- Workplace safety.
- Employees are empowered to support their local communities.
- Amazon are committed to creating more opportunities.
- Unique culture that breeds invention.
Does Amazon respect to its employees? ›
Amazon is committed to ensuring the people, workers, and communities that support our entire value chain are treated with fundamental dignity and respect. We strive to ensure that the products and services we provide are produced in a way that respects human rights.