If you think that all workers in developed countries receive all the workers’ rights that they should have, you might want to rethink that statement. Large-scale corporations usually take advantage of their workers and deprive them of the rights they deserve. The brutal reality Amazon warehouse employees face while working during the holidays was revealed during interviews with Business Insider. It was revealed that during prime or peak season, Amazon warehouse employees are all required to work mandatory overtime during holidays, such as Black Friday. During most of the year, the warehouse employees work 40 hours a week but during peak season, they have to work 60 hours a week, which are 5 12- hour night shifts. The workers essentially become slaves during these periods and the work they have to do is extremely physically gruelling and exhausting. During peak season, workers are banned from taking holidays. They are only allowed to do so if there are any extenuating circumstances, however such exceptions to the embargo are extremely rare. Amazon employees work under extremely harsh conditions, in order to keep up with the hourly rate, workers cannot take bathroom breaks or they risk TOT, otherwise known as time off task points, that could be used to justify job termination. Amazon drivers have to deliver 200 parcels a day and they do not even have time to take bathroom breaks. This not only shows the lack of workers’ rights, it also highlights the denial to a basic human right for the workers. Amazon warehouse employees are forced to work even during the most treacherous of weather conditions. For example, workers are asked to report for duty at their respective fulfilment centres even during storms or severely snowy conditions. They were told that they would be given days off when weather conditions are drastic. However, that was never really the case. If workers are unable to report for duty because of how bad the weather conditions are to the point where they are unable to see while driving, they get hours deducted from their unpaid time off. These instances showcase how Amazon workers are treated like slaves and robots and are thus, denied basic workers’ rights.
