Most people, at least once in their life, have ordered something from Amazon. It is easy and convenient for people who need to get items with a deadline. We can have whatever we desire delivered to our doorstep in a matter of days—sometimes even hours! Although this might be a nice, simple option for us, there is a lot more sacrificed by others during this process than you’d think.
Inside the warehouses that sort all these packages, you will find workers being pushed to their limits. From shortened breaks to high injury rates, the accusations of mistreatment at this company are endless. The workers are given a myriad of orders to package and very little time to complete them all. While trying to package orders during a late night shift, Rita Cummings, an Amazon Employee, got her glove on a pin sticking out a conveyor belt and it was torn off, almost taking her hand with it. During her time at the warehouse, she has also witnessed packages burst open on the conveyor belt injuring her colleagues. Disasters like these can slow down production rates. However, they are still expected to fulfill their goals.
“I was a picker and we were expected to always pick 400 units within the hour in seven seconds of each item we picked,” Juan Espinoza told The Guardian, “I couldn’t handle it. I’m a human being, not a robot.” Despite these shocking facts, there are some benefits to a job at Amazon. Employees get paid a decent amount and are given bonuses around Christmastime. Workers may also receive a 10% discount on products that are sold and shipped by amazon. Is a minuscule discount really worth a life threatening injury? They are also given access to good health insurance and vision and dental plans. Though these seem like nice benefits at the end of the day it is up to the workers to decide if the rewards are worth the hard work