zlacker

IMO it isn’t really relevant how much they’re paid or what the educational requirements. It’s never okay to treat people the way Amazon treats warehouse workers. If you (and the government) consider your business “essential” you simply have to take appropriate precautions to protect the health and safety of those people who are carrying out essential duties. I understand there are supply shortages around the world but Amazon isn’t even trying to make a good faith effort to protect their people. They’re doing the opposite, it seems. Fighting their employees every step of the way.

>>elliek+(OP)
I don't know where you're getting your news, but yea they are. Amazon FCs around the world have been implementing mandatory distancing protocols, mandatory usage of hand sanitizer and masks (which Amazon provides where there aren't shortages), mandatory temperature checks before entering the warehouse, increased PTO, unlimited unpaid time off if you're having symptoms, and more.

This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say it's getting exhausting. There is an incredible amount of misinformation/hyperbole going around about how these employees are treated. Again, warehouse work isn't glamorous and they're definitely not in as good of a situation as your average SWE sitting at home sipping beer while Zooming, but if you read past the clickbait headlines, Amazon is doing all of the things you just accused them of not doing.

>>elliek+(OP)
I guess Amazon is the McDonald of 2019/2020, a nice easy target for all. Day doesn't go by without some article about that horrible exploiting Amazon.

Where were/are you when discussing about nurses, truck drivers, waiters, mom&pop stores earning below minimum (or nothing these days), uber drivers and gazillions of other examples. Plus various the other warehouses as well. Or chinese factory workers, manufacturing your branded clothing, iphones and whatnot 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. I could go on and on for quite some time.

Everybody likes to kick Amazon these days, such an easy target, almost fashionable. Did you ever order anything from them, thus supporting the business? Ebay/aliexpress?

They are not saints, its a brutal capitalism and race to the bottom... just like every other successful company out there. Folks work there because other options they have are worse, if there are any. Don't like exploitation like that? Well try to change labor laws in your country instead of cherry-picking single target.

As for covid measures, other poster described them well enough, no point adding anything.

>>saiya-+H4
> its a brutal capitalism and race to the bottom

This "race to the bottom" argument is so tired. The only way you can make that argument is if you don't consider the welfare of all 7.6 billion people on this planet as worth improving.

Generally people live more comfortable leisurely lives now than at any point in human history. This is largely thanks to capitalism. I understand that not everyone's life is great yet, but for the most part the number of people in poverty or extreme poverty keeps decreasing.

For the most part, the overwhelming majority of people's whose lives are worse today than in the past, it is because they are competing with others who are willing to do it for less because even doing it for less, it's a lot better than their alternatives. Those who are worse off now are almost invariably still better off than those that were at the bottom of the barrel that are now doing better.

Basically capitalism is a rising tide that has for the most part raised all boats. That is far from a race towards the bottom.