"You're Just Disposable": Former Amazon Workers Speak Out | "Amazon Empire" | FRONTLINE
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- Опубликовано: 2 май 2024
- In interviews with FRONTLINE for a new documentary, former Amazon employees who worked in the company’s fulfillment centers describe a work environment in which they felt pressured to pick and pack items at productivity rates they say are “unrealistic.”
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Their stories echoed the more than 50 interviews FRONTLINE conducted with similar workers across the country.
“We’re not treated as human beings, we’re not even treated as robots. We’re treated as part of the data stream,” one former employee says in the above scene from "Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos."
Also in this scene, Jeff Wilke, one of two CEOs under Bezos, strongly defends the company’s treatment of workers and its commitment to safety. He stresses that the company has become an industry leader in training its workforce for career advancement, and says its hourly workers -- for whom Amazon’s minimum wage is double the federal standard -- are offered the same benefits Amazon executives receive.
“These are great jobs,” he says.
For the full story, watch "Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos" in full starting Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 9/8c on PBS and online: to.pbs.org/2SH9uSj
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FRONTLINE is streaming more than 200 documentaries online, for free, here: to.pbs.org/hxRvQP
Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation, the Park Foundation, The John and Helen Glessner Family Trust, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation.
If you think this is disturbing, cancel your prime account and shop local.
That's one of the main reasons I will NEVER buy anything from Amazon I said NEVER!! I preferred Ali or eBay instead.
Not surprised about the working conditions.
I buy amazon as a last resort.
It may take some more time but I try my best to buy at a brick and mortar store!
Sucks putting up with mr and mrs assholeanbitch customer service there, but it's that or keep making the online empire bigger.
🤷🏻♂️
Local, like walmart?
@@oksanavyzhak5616 💯💯💯
I'm almost retired after 40 years of working, and the one thing I've learned is to always think of yourself as a contract employee that can be disposed of at a moments notice. Never, ever consider yourself part of a 'team' or 'family', you are there only as long as your duties make a profit for the company, so look out for yourself is the #1 priority. I've been caught in layoffs, bankruptcies that closed down a company almost immediately, companies with poor supervisors and managers. Always keep your eyes and ears open to what's going on at your employer and the industry in general so you'll know when to jump off the sinking ship, or when a better opportunity presents itself.
contract employees set their own wages and hours though. they charge way more because they take on more responsibility for understanding the market as you describe. if you're finding yourself doing that as an employee, you're doing the hard work of a contractor without any of the benefits. you've been conned into telling yourself that's normal.
Only business you can trust to take care of you is your own business.
Very wise advice for anyone , sir i am fortunate enough to understand this reality early in my life, it does not matter whether you are gov employee or private employee , employment is a contract people work for them and they give people money, thats it, we should not get involved emotionally and not to think of us as part of company or family.
The best business is to mind our own business.
Thank you truly!
And always save your money, F you money
The day I got fired from Amazon for slow productivity was surprisingly one of the happiest days of my life. I screamed for joy during my car ride back home and it felt like I was finally freed
Lmfaoooo this is exactly what I’ll get fired for. My first week I cried becuz I don’t stow as fast as the others. They kept pestering me about being faster but at the same time telling me it was okay becuz I was new. I went too fast, lost a package, and my stowing looked like a tornado went through it🤣🤣
@@teezyt6879 how long you been working at Amazon?
@@omega0195 I literally quit the or 3rd or 4th week😭found something that payed 19.50 w less stress on my body!
Been there myself. Not with Amazon but I had a horrible boss that I constantly feared would fire me. When she finally did I was almost euphoric. Scared of being out of work but still incredibly happy. It was weird.
how many lines per hr were you expected to pick or pack or even stock? i work in a wearhouse but id never work at amazon since ive heard nothing but bad things
I can confirm that all the people I knew who worked there, didn’t “want to come back”
Mfs scared of work
@@fidelcashhfloww6178 right😂
@@treyp1704 wrong.
Basically, if you show dedication and work hard enough, eventually your boss will be able to afford to go to space
Yes, now get workin
Too bad he's didn't get Lost in Space. That space trip was ridiculous
Or if you work hard , and move up you can live a pretty good life , travel, beautiful car , large home , lake home .
@@kelleysaint8606 there's rewards for working hard here? I've heard the opposite. What type of work are we talkin' here? 🙊🙈🙉
@@TheEndOfABloodline I work retail myself,
The fact that people “come to work” doesn’t indicate a quality workplace. It indicates that people have bills to pay. That JEFF Wilke dude should know better.
He doesn't know and he doesn't care
he should do a few month as a warehouse worker, id love to see him hit those rates
He comes off as a corporate psychopath.
Oh he KNOWS. He just doesn't give a hoot.
Thank you
I worked for Amazon August 2020 - August 2021 and this video is by far the most accurate way to describe it from the outside. After 4 months I was burnt out and had chronic fatigue. My face aged 3 years within the year I worked there. It was borderline dreadful. So much more to say but I won't. I don't work there anymore.
Good for you!!
How much sleep did you get per day?
Good for you let me tell you my short story well I start working there in April 20 of 2021 until January 12, during those 8 months that I worked there it was easy at the beginning but after the days went on I was not getting much sleep cause I was working night shift and I wanted to transfer to day shift but I could because I was having 3 write ups but the thing I hated the most is that after the peak season they decided to stop employing me because I was working with a fake social security number so they asked me to verify my employment authorization, and then after I question myself they didn't care I was working that way during the peak season I felt used.
I got my first job at Amazon, I started on Monday, I quit on Tuesday because they treated everyone like shit including the people who were training us and they said we would get benefits from day 1 but only one employee I talked to actually managed to finally get it set up and that's the only reason I wanted to work there, also they just had me start working right away and didn't train me on what to do if there was a damaged item or missing product, or safety problem, and if it were just me I'd think maybe I was just crazy but my sister started on Monday as well and spent 6 hours on Tuesday crying and having a mental breakdown, I would only recommend this job if you have absolutely no other options
@@jrudymorganclark2072 I understand how you could see it that way but you need to take responsibility and understand when you work with a fake social you take the risk of being let go at any time
I saw so many injuries at Amazon. One person passed out and management said did he drink enough water to stay hydrated ? Whatever happens to you it’s not Amazons fault. They will always place the blame on the worker.
I got fired for being sick on site and I told nobody because my upt was low for helping my father with his cancer. They thought I was high so they told me to piss in a cup. I smoke on my days off so they fired me because it goes against company policy to smoke inside or outside of work, whether weed is legal or not.
HR told me I was fine as long as I was never high on site. I was an idiot for thinking they had my back
I broke my foot while working at Amazon, Amazon denied surgery the day before I was supposed to have it. They refused to help me and then let me go saying I abandoned my position. Amazon does not care about the employees, I was dispensed of.
They don't need to care about you. You can leave. That's how capitalism works. People work where they want to work.
Al2jesus???
First off Jesus wouldn’t talk that way. He was a healer
If you actually had to live and work in this country, not a troll farm in Russia you would understand that the US used to have workers compensation in place for injured workers. If you got injured at work, they paid for medical bills and gave you 2/3 of your base rate of pay while you were off work
Of course Republicans have been chipping away at that in states like Texas
What happens if someone becomes so injured they can’t work anywhere? What are you supposed to do? Drop dead?
@@emilyfeagin2673 That's another subject. The simplistic thinking of socialists is that if companies are free to do whatever they want with their employees, they'll just maximally opress and exploit them. But it doesn't take into account competition for workers. The company with the least amount of work to be done and the highest pay gets all the workers. We don't have an infinite amount of workers. Companies need to fight for them. Workers will just go somewhere else. That's why it's in the interest of the companies to be good to their workers. The free market is this holy thing that just regulates everything on its own. It's the invisible hand, that Adam Smith talked about. Socialists don't understand economics. The democratic party is just a gigantic pile of emotions. It's partly care for the poor and partly just hate for the rich. But it's not working. If I didn't know anything about economics I'd be a socialist too. Socialism is like an illness that every normal person has when they're born. Than they learn economics and see how dumb they were. This is why I hate democracy. People don't have time to read about economics. Read Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell.
@@all2jesus Jesus had compassion you should get a diff screen name.
@@damienholland9432 Campassion is for private life. Compassion is poison in politics and economics. It leads to bad things. Socialists are not so much worried for the poor. It's more of a hate for the rich. Like Cain and Abel. What's better ? To be rational or compassionate ? Read Proverbs in the Bible. It's about being rational and how intelligence guides your path. The Bible also says, that people that don't want to work shouldn't eat. I want the best for the poorest. That's why I think this way. You cannot redistribute money. The Pareto Distribuition always seeks its level back again. You cannot change the Pareto Principle. It's a statistical law. Never in the history of the world did a government manage to redistribute money so that it's not pareto distributed anymore. The Left is full of ignorant emotions.
"If the rates are too high people aren't going to show up to work" WRONG! When you are the only jobs in town because you have eliminated everything else they have no choice.
justin garner best smart comment you 💯 right
By his logic working the coalmines back in the day was not to bad of a job either.
I agree with you 100% and I was so angry when he said that. People go to work at Amazon because they may have little choice. They need to pay the bills, pay rent or a mortgage, put food on the table etc. People will work in crappy conditions because they HAVE to not because they want to and Amazon is exploiting that.😡
And even after all of that, people still walk away because of the pressure.
Just like when republicans said "Mexicans do the work Americans don't want".
I, a American was doing the work Americans didn't want. I had a hard time finding anyone on the line who talked English, thanks to Reagan destroying the local unions, and giving amnesty to Mexicans who undercut labor with the republicans permission. I don't hate Mexicans, by the way, but I will NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED! Your supposed to work for free, without any safety or benefits, according to republicans.
By the way, I didn't watch TV much, but could still see what was happening. I am not a democrat either, so save the BS Fox News told you to say. I won't listen to stupid comments.
This is not good for anyone’s mental health . My anxiety would be off the roof
I loan my friend $2,000 to quit Amazon and find a job that does not treat her like a machine. On her feet all shift, It did not matter how hard or how fast she worked, she would still get written up for not meeting their impossible quota.
never listen to higher-ups. listen to the workers; they know what it's actually like
... usually if you listened to workers the business wouldnt exist. Look at the number of people in here who think they are owed something just cuz amazon has so much money.
You're right and the only ones talking against the workers here are those who have not EVER worked for Amazon. I've not heard on worker IN PERSON tell me Amazon is great to work for or anything. They say it's a job, but most I've met have been injured while working there and sent to places like thrift stores or something to still work, but with conditions of what not to do physically. One guy was only about 22 years old and had bad back problems because Amazon was giving him the run around while he was trying to get an MRI. They gave him all excuses.
How about reverse rolls...then what! If you not actively doing it yourself you can't possibly understand your employees worth. The first thing that companies want to speak on is how much money and benefits they offer as oppose to putting up with their short comings! Totally unfair...I once work for a company that still exist day, which gave you two hours to complete strenuous labor work if you finish early which rally happened you were told to stand in wait at the time clock for the others to clock out at the same time. If caught sitting down you were told that you could not sit down. I quit- to much stress physically! The staff handed my pay and said, "what's the problem? Your getting paid." What asinine thing to say to someone. Fed up!
Amen
@@Fatstogey Or maybe they're saying to be paid a livable wage when Amazon can afford to. There's nothing wrong with that at all if they weren't originally paid a livable wage.
Actually these companies WANT short term workers - that way, they don't have pay increases or better benefits, more vacation, etc.
A.ericas great demise no one is safe 20 years earns you nothing youth work ha r der longer and newcomers get paid less CEO dream od rollover. Never allow your loyalties become a life style only growth in your income. Replace and keep people in retain thats the big business moto. Laws need to be change if anything is going to change
Your correct! I once worked in a corp office called (Compass) in NYC and didnt know why they always hired new employees every month..it was soooo odd. I did not even see anyone past 45 or so in age. Seems they let go workers every 2-3 months and kept this going on and on! I was let go and found its so they dont have to pay long term benefits to anyone.
@John B no.. fuck unions.. i dont want to pay someone else to negotiate for me.. i just choose not to work for amazon.. needed a job bad for over 6 months couldnt find work still would not budge on it.. ended up working for fedex ground for awhile.. they were not so bad.. up front about the fact most people dont last longer than a few weeks.. my pay was going up without me even noticing it as well lol.. i think it capped at a point but i got a better job so IDK if there is a cap
@John B he should have just embraced automation rather than slave wages
@@cecevilla5948 so adopt socialism but do better than what China does
Watching him evade, deflect, & spew non-answers as easily as drawing breath here, I would not trust Jeff Wilke if he told me the sun is hot or rain is wet. How he's been able to rise to the top of the corporate ladder is on full display here. How he is able to live with himself is another matter altogether.
I’ve worked there twice and I would never go back there !!! They definitely try to pushing everyone to work harder each day. They constantly come around with their laptops and tell everyone that their numbers are too low and need to pick up the pace. They swear we are robots.
Lets get real, amazon are not the only company that don't give a shit about the workers!!
Yeah, like Centurion Transport. They told us we weren't entitled to an afternoon shift allowance (an additional 15.2%) because we didn't start in the afternoon, but that was false. We were entitled to it because we finished between 6pm and midnight.
It's the American way...
Aren't you the insightful one!
Can you show us the part where it was said or even implied that Amazon is the only company who treats their employees this way?
You want to know real abuse work for the city government.
Walmart also
I hate people like Jeff Wilke. They've got a list of ways on how the average worker is supposed to work, but they themselves would never follow the same advice.
It's not just not able to follow their own advice, they just cannot do it. I've met managers in different companies who set the work rules that are beyond human capability and complain that the workers are lazy. Human beings get tired and need breaks. If not they under perform.
And wouldn't want their children to work like that ...
Undercover Boss, anyone? I literally love watching the owners/exec's try and keep up with the often asinine "polices" and demands they so willing put in place. Especially, when they themselves have to work with outdated equipment, little to no breaks and often with an understaffed workforce, let me not even get started talking about the wage disparities.
90% of the VP are like this, they look to what is supposed to be rather than what it is actually. He trully believes on what he is saying because he is completly clueless about the real issues.
"how come these people are complaining if they have the same benefits as my family?!"
No dude, that's not the point.
clark clarke And they will make sure they don’t!
The amazon guys has practiced this questions so much beforehand. He knows exactly how to answer back and make it sounds like he cares, and is nothing is wrong going on.
This sounds exactly like Wal Mart. You saw this person not addressing the topic. turning it around to make this video about it's employees sound ungrateful. It's true people!!! Amazon and Wal Mart are horrible places to work!!!!!!
Never let your tombstone say “employee of the month”. Is one of my biggest revelation.
Got me laughing at this one.
If this isn't the damn truth!!!
What does it mean , explain plz
?
So true. Employee of the month gets paid the same as average worker and slacker of the month.
As an Amazon customer I don't have a problem getting my package a day later if it means giving these employees a better work environment. We're humans, not robots.
i stopped being a customer ages ago. good riddance to amazon.
@@braesidebikes4344 good
Knowing this, WHY are you still a customer???
@@ky9933 Because I can save a lot of time and gas money by having it delivered to me. Plus there's a lot i can buy from Amazon that I can't find in any stores near me.
Sadly there is no "day later " in delivery, once 1 day passes you are back to intense delivery every day
I worked at Amazon for a year and few months such a depressing place. I worked at other warehouses but Amazon is by far one of the worst workplace environments I have worked in. I feel for anyone who has to work those positions in order to provide for the families and make a "decent" living.
What makes it do depressing
@@josephmoore9706depends on the position most of them are isolated environments except ship dock which is where majority of people interact and still work
“They come to work everyday and stay for years” dude that’s because we need money not because we like the job
Heh heh... "People come to work because these are great jobs."
No, Jeff. People come to work because they don't want to starve to death in a gutter.
@The Legendary Tyrone I bet you wont go work there?
@The Legendary Tyrone In my short experience with warehouse work, Amazon was by far my worst experience. It's a decent temp job (for someone coming outta high school, or an educator looking for some summer work), but it's the kind that inspires u to do something different cuz u definitely don't want to do this shit for long.
Lol uhhhhhh yeah fake everything at work lol life is fake
@@Gosmoke. I work at Amazon actually and I'm not complaining. I work remotely from my home office doing logistics.
@@willn8664 but hey your not like them pissing in bottles and unloading freight off trucks ect.. you're better then them right?
Put that guy in the warehouse and see how long he'd last.
He may actually last long. Here's the sad fact: I worked at UPS and they had unions for 100 years and management sets rates. Management also participate in the operations (I worked the operations physically while another management employee didn't last long and quit). UPS operation do cause injury and physical stress and paying injury compensation is more than the salary itself. So I doubt Amazon's best interest is physically hurting their workers. The workload in this video of Amazon looks really slow compare to UPS. A lot of people talk crap but those are the 2-5%. Im sure OSHA comes into Amazon facility and audits the operation. I'm guessing those being interviewed aren't the majority of the workers.
He probably got a good education and doesn't have to take warehouse jobs
Dave Chappelle “Their way” you mean. The truth is that a lot of these warehouse workers are extremely well educated, but there aren’t job opportunities. Unless, of course, you’re a straight, white male.
I completely agree with you, these other people seem to have a better than you attitude. Management will always set the bar higher and higher, when they don't have to do the work.
Dave Chappelle you must be joking...Dave...
I could NEVER do this job. Assembly lines are THE worst. Screw that
Try fast food
Become a truck driver more freedom especially if u have no kids
Mfs don’t wanna work
But you are right
Yeah i hate assembly lines, i dont know how people can do it. You can't think its non stop, god forbid u gotta take a dump lol i did it a few times through temp agencies never again.i worked at a place that coffee cups and salad containers came out fast, u had to bag them put them in boxes tape the box non stop all day long.
How about having management tried to hit those rates for a month actually doing the work
Finally, a PBS comment section, open with actual comments.
I hope PBS breaks away from the deep state media.
I think they always had it closed because so many people say nasty things that are disrespectful or there are so many one sided comments that PBS wants to seem more neutral. Hopefully, it works out!
Brett Karst stop
@@capkarr take that Maga crap elsewhere please!
@@ecclairmayo4153 "one sided"? Is that not the point of conversation, a meeting of the sides?
It's pretty impressive. Amazon out Walmart'ed Walmart. Tagline: "Just when employees thought employment couldn't get any worse...."
John L - hope Walmart knows not to bite the hand that feeds them. Amazon can try to out-do Walmart as much as they want, but in the end the tortoise wins. People in general want a nice place and people to work with.
@@jag5798 I'm not sure it will work the same way in this case. Amazon will replace people with robots, crush Walmart and we've got a brand new problem. Of course one that's very predictable but will we wake up in time to realize the threat to jobs is not Mexican migrants?
Sam Walton is dead since the early 90s. Ever since his passing Walmart has been steadily declining.
Amazon and Walmart have different business models. Many older folks do not shop online, they want a store to walk into and see, touch and feel what the are buying. This will change over time as the older folks die off, but Walmart will evolve as this video suggested in other companies adopting Amazon tactics.
You do know Amazon employment is not limited to just working in fulfillment centers, right?
I'm an Amazon employee already hit my 6th month here in the state of California. I'm currently working at an Amazon Delivery Station in the San Bernardino area. Because of the new law that Gavin Newsome passed last year regarding warehouse quotas, managers at my facility can't force us to work ourselves to death. As long as you are working, regardless fast or slow pace, you'll be fine.
@FlipinoSlugger Things are different here in Utah.
@woodrochristopherwood1578 really? Are you working in an Amazon FC, Delivery Station, Sortation center? And how different are you talking?
Listening to the corporate guy answering questions made me feel physically sick. He's a sociopath.
@Juso oh absolutely. I work at a start up in Europe and the difference between my boss (and engineer through and through) and the CEO (who always worked consultancy before) is MASSIVE. It's very easy to tell when someone asks a question being legitimately interested or with ulterior motives. It's insane to me that they think nobody can tell...
@Juso once I needed to contact my boss to double-check the priority order of tasks since I had finished what I was doing. The CEO started a whole speech about how there's always something to be done, blablabla, you probably get what I mean. And I was like... "No man... I need to know what to do cause I don't want to spend 3+ hours doing something that was priority but now it's not anymore." I was so pissed... I work 4x faster than anyone else. And he wanted to lecture me about doing my job xD
They don't care about you. There are 10 more behind you ready to take the job.
20 more
@Brian Dahlen actually it already is, they have hiring ads everywhere that they need 100k more employees to meet the demand.
That and labor sharing going around.
@Paul Simonson in India more like a 1million youth With atleast masters degree ready to take even a packin kinda job
Actually, that's not true, Micheal. Most people can't do the warehouse job because it's too physically taxing. It's not meant to be a a long-term job for most.
The world was much healthier with lots of small shops with proprietors and patrons who knew each other.
This is an unknown circle of hell.
Indeed killer metaphor 🤘
take us back. NWO is hell.
Na son, you trippin
The world was so much healthier when we overpaid to rent movies from Blockbuster. The employees talked to the customers and they knew each other. This is how dumb you sound. Circle of dumb.
And less regulation. This is the NWO.
Got a kick out of the manager at the end when questioned about cheating safety standards to make rate by the employees.. He said he would never sacrifice safety of employee over the job mission. He said all the employee has to do is raise their hand and we'll fix it. My guess is the noisemaker will be replaced by a new improved model that will keep quiet until it wears out, then repeat...Someone should have asked him what the employee turnover rate was...
Breaking News: Every employee is a disposable commodity.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by that. Do you mean that every employee is a faceless number that is at the whim of the company he or she works for or are you commenting on the Amazon philosophy?
Facts!
Damn right! I work as security at USC.
They are. Most employees must prove their worth or cry and quit like these babies.
I worked for Amazon for 91 days. I've done everything except retail and construction It's easily the worst job I've ever had.
Chad K nothing wrong with switching what you want to do in life
@@chadkeffer Amazon has horrible execution period. Not so much the Job... I practice law and I record everything
@Michael P Better than zoomer mentality. If the cafeteria doesn't have a operating vending machine you whiny kids want to unionize right away. LOL
@Michael P Never personally worked for Amazon myself. I've worked for UPS as a loader, unloader, sorter, and as a PIT driver for the bulk. I've also worked at FedEx as a loader, unloader, and bulk handler. Let me tell you, from both locations I've heard from my coworkers that Amazon is a cakewalk. Not even BSing you. The bulk itself at both jobs would be in excess of 100 pounds frequently to give ya an idea.
*ok boomer*
I got fired from amazon last month because my rate was 60.1% and they required a rate of 60.5%.
They are so stupid ! What is "rate" ? What does that mean, there ?
Will Synn can you imagine what the government does to you when you join the military?
Udono Quesabo i work at amazon and the rates are unrealistic. it just means how quick you scan and pack or scan and stow or scan and pick
rayva1 are you seriously comparing working for amazon to joining the military? Smfh
I’m a week into the job there. They expect 300 packages per hour to stow items. It’s fricken brutal!
‘Willingness to experiment ‘ no Jeff , I think your motto goes : ‘willingness to exploit people ‘
Why do people act like they aren’t disposable? Your not a specialist in packing boxes. Almost every job has employees that can be replaced.
"You're just disposable". Welcome to the workforce.
Thank you. These folks need a bite out of a reality sandwich. People starving to death in the world, diseased and dying and they're worried about a fucking job at Amazon. Work someplace else.
Seems a big fight is brewing 🤷♂️
Yep, learn a skill that makes you indispensable.
@@OnceUponAnIsland Never heard a plumber complain, they are too busy making money.
@@IdgaradLyracant Yep, learning a trade is so valuable and is a shame it is overlooked by high school.
"They can raise their hand to say this isn't right and we'll fix it" by escorting them out of the door.
LOL
My exact thought
I was going to comment this.
😂😂😂
Thats there life two people walking you out.
People see it
“They have the right to raise their hand and say ‘this is too fast’ and we’ll fix it.” A.K.A fire you a week later.
The simple explanation is that high turnover means fresher and newer workers that start with the basic pay and benefit packages. They won't need to increase anything for about 1-2 years which by then, new people will have already been recruited.
You’re pretty much right. The people, regardless of age, who are consistent, good workers who show up on time-for the most part (I’m late all time, mostly on purpose. I just use my personal time and UPT that Amazon workers get every quarter to use)-just move into more and more specialized roles and continue to get slight pay increases and become part of the regular cast of characters, essentially.
Everyone else is a short term or seasonal worker, people who just want a few pay checks. People who are lazy or bad workers from a physical standpoint usually self-select out. It’s a manual labor type of job, not hard, but it requires good physical health and a good attitude.
The most impressive thing about Amazon, in my opinion, is their emphasis on the career development program, which is basically like free college tuition for employees to take classes for things like cyber security, software dev, law, business, data analysis, advertising, etc. … it’s like an internal farm system for their continued expansion and takeover if the world. I’m planning on doing the flatiron software dev. program-supposedly better chance of getting hired and better pay than 4 year degree computer science programs or bootcamps.
But I’ve been really impressed with Amazon and how smart and efficient everything is from top down. Meanwhile, this whole Frontline piece is complete bullshit.
When an employer says "theses jobs are not for everybody" It means they expect more than they are willing to pay for.
Not exactly; when you attend a sport and you are told you don't make the team because "it's not for everybody", that means that there are people willing to train more, to run more, top work harder, to stay longer on the field... You fucking commies see only one perspective and that is the one you like best...
@@A.Dude. this is a bad anolgy you're implying that by working harder and lasting longer you will reap your benefits which is not true when you slow down you are thrown out like trash that's that's like saying someone that plays on a team and worked hard and gets injured and now they are no longer part of the team which that doesn't happen please think before you speak
@@peacemaker206 OK! So here is me after rethinking: GO AND EAT SHIT!
What job pays you properly for your time and worth?
@@A.Dude. So do you get paid more for performing at a higher physical and mental level at amazon ?
Walmart : we treat our employees like shit
Amazon : hold my beer
People need to stop buying from those companies. That’s the solution. And I do think people buying from these companies are indirectly saying it’s okay to treat your employees like crap.
I work at Walmart DC its horrible everytime I walk in there I always feel like I walk in some Chinese warehouse
Hold my prime
@@MBarberfan4life I cant help it, I have no legs. . And i live alone.
Why did RUclips suspend your account? Cuz of the Bikini top?
What do you expect? They pay non skilled workers 15 an hour starting. That’s the definition of disposable
I work at a fulfillment center in NJ. packer and sorter. They had 1 death last summer during prime at my warehouse. They don’t care about their employees. There’s no sick days. Just PTO, UPT(unpaid time). Their rates are unrealistic due to the machines never working properly. They change the rates and don’t tell you, they write you up and don’t tell you. They give you a hassle if you need to use the bathroom. You’re forced to work an extra hour and extra day called MET(mandatory extra time).
"They can raise their hand and say this isn't right"... yeah and say goodbye to your job
That's what he meant by "we'll fix it" I'd wager.
People also sleep with managers and HR for a promotion, at least at the one in Tracy, CA
@@bigguy9941 No thank you! My managers look like shit...lol
@@bigguy9941 Sadly that's a lot of jobs. At Sprint, that's how the DM got her job, she sucked off the regional manager RICK ARIAS and got ratted out because another girl who sucked him off wasn't given the DM job. It was the worst kept secret in the region.
lmao nobody should even have to say things like that at their job, that's the problem that completely flew over his head. It's always about the BENJAMINS!!!
Amazon wouldn’t tell you the turnover rate....that tells you everything about them
Insane turn overrate
Look at the new article in the NYT they getting worried that there gonna run out of ppl to hire that tell you right there that the turn over rate is high
its 150%, for every 10 workers they hire, 15 leave
It's 3.2%
Recently saw the turnover rate is so high they are worried they will run out of new workers to hire by 2023, not enough people turning 18 every year that are forced to work for amazon to survive i guess.
I just started my third job in four years. When i was interviewing for my current position the person that interviewed me made it a point to point out that I've only stayed in one job for two years and I just gave her the same bs response about how I want to improve my skills and learn about different aspects of my field. But i love it that she knows am bouncing out of there in two years, maximum. I don't know for how long I will have the opportunity to switch jobs with such ease but i just know that for now, i will leave my current position (after one year minimum) the moment someone offers me more money. And f*$$ that loyalty bs. These employers are squeezing you like lemons, so please, squeeze back.
Amazon here in Illinois are not adhering to the payment policy. Workers are not being paid for their efforts, not being paid on time. You're supposed to be paid on Friday. Employees are being paid on Saturday. ERC is a joke.
Jeff doesn’t buy a $165 million mansion without backbreaking labor
Right
@Chris best thing is Bezos is a Dem
I'm sure if someone is willing to set up an alternative to Amazon, something showing caring hands or something, ethical treatment of our workers could do well. I think part of the population would be willing to pay a little extra knowing their package wasn't packed together from some expected mom 9 months full term standing on her feet just to make ends meet.
Boycott Amazon.
@Breanna Haspert I'm calling the police.
People are being squeezed out everywhere. I wonder who's going to buy all their stuff once we reach peak automation.
..it would become needed to have 'robot consumers' just to trash some stuff to keep the whole thing going..lol watch..they will call it 'supply management'
You wont need people amazon will be 100% automation
That's why UBI will eventually become a necessity. But most people don't have the foresight. Yang 2024.
@@woopygoman At that point people are just units for consuming products and not adding any other value. Taxes fund the UBI, but who's paying the taxes? Are the 1% going to be taxed 90% to support the 99%?
@@woopygoman A better model would be pushing the environmental angle so that people can work on living more efficiently rather than consuming a lot of junk. Push for efficient modular communities rather than centralization.
The way he explains the whole go to school to find something better because we know our company sucks so had you can only stand a couple years SHOWS how they see their employees as disposable.
Welcome to the workforce. You are disposable in EVERY job. They can and will replace you in no time.
“Your safety is our number one priority” is the biggest lie my employer tells us. I’ve seen a few injuries in the work place and the EHS team just QUESTIONS AND QUESTIONS the employee trying to find a cause outside of work. It’s almost intimidating. I injured my lower back myself pushing some damn carts with broken wheels that I have COMPLAINED about for YEARS. They never fixed them or got new ones. I Guess I forced myself too much pushing one and I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. Went to the nurse and she picked at it and picked at it. She asked what exactly I do after work, how old my mattress is, in what position do I sleep, do I participate in sports.. she even looked me dead in my eyes and asked if I climb trees.. I’m 280lbs do I LOOK LIKE I CLIMB TREES??? She gave me icy hot, Advil and sent me back to work. These companies DO NOT give a fuck about us. That’s why I no longer give a fuck if they fire me. I’m working at my OWN pace now.
Is profit over safety
I used to work at the fulfillment center in Miami DMI 3 this Warehouse had no air condition whatsoever these people were suffering for years of heat stroke people passing out, but yet they say we care about you yeah that's a joke
Go to your own doctor and file a workers comp claim with the company. If they don't comply then hire an attorney. It's a win win for you and no more crappy push carts. You're welcome
Yes my chiropractor does worker comp evaluations she's always fighting to get benefits for her patients. Companies send you to industrial clinics where they get lousy care.
Yeah the answer is always: " you didn't follow procedures "
Been there
It ain't just Amazon. Unrealistic expectations are a part of most big businesses
Bingo!
People really hate Amazon. Also people: "Look what I found on Amazon!". It really disgusts me when people say things like "Is it on Amazon?" on a podcast for example. Practice what you preach!
I worked for Amazon for 9 months before I quit. If you aren’t in tech or management, don’t bother with Amazon
You can clearly see that this CEO from Amazon is lying.
Thank you I couldn’t tell
Emperor not CEO
I could tell he was lying too
@Xray Paul true...I want my kid to join the government jobs which are way way better than many private Corporates sucking the blood out of their workers.
Clearly. Lying.
Kinda hard to go to college when ur working 60hrs a week or then u get laid off and then can't use ur benefits for school etc.
College is a scam many colleges are closing down and many people aren’t going to retire at all that’s the crazy thing the world is ending just admit it.
Think anyone cares?
@@alexchavez3244 when you someday need a doctor, do you not want that doctor to have a college education? I agree, colleges are bullshit in a lot of ways. But in many ways they are very much still needed
Maya a doctor to fuck me up last time I remember native people where healthy before Europeans came 🤦♂️🤦♂️💀🙄 that’s why no Native American where never in poverty poor or obese Am I wrong?
Maya college is no way needed bro it’s a scam doctors got RUclips to do shit bro.
6 months working as a picker I left depressed and medicated.. the amount of items that you have to pick per hr is insane you have 9-12 seconds to get an item out of a machine that has minimal space and is stuck into a bin and press a button just to rush and do that all day .. take more than 15 seconds you get a write up. And I thought field work was tough .. nope Amazon topped that .
I'm almost to the 2 month mark, I'm in picking myself. I hate it. They expect 300-350 rate per hr. But they don't account for the pod gaps, and tote conveyor malfunctions, and amnesty going on the floor. It's just ridiculous. I'm trying to switch over to flex to buy me some time to get another job. Fuck picking at Amazon.
That’s scary to see losing humanity but it was really impressed to see how they have completely mastered the technique of standardisation and computation about ways to keep tracking of worker’s productivity. Good job Jeff but could we be better :)
I ve been doing warehouse work for 20 years. It never gets easier. They push you more and more everyday, which is why I am going back to school in September for computers. I do not recommend doing warehouse work for any company. They are all starting to follow the amazon way. At some point, while doing these jobs, your body will give out on you, even if your mind tells you not to stop your body will. Go learn a trade that gives you a set of skills that will allow you to start your own business. Take it from a guy who has been doing it for 20 years....stay away from warehouses!!!!!!!
Working in IT isn't necessarily better, unless you are friends with someone who implements favoritism in their environment.
That's great , good luck Mike ....try to learn and get into Data Analytics / Data Warehouse / ..Cloud computing ....or IT Security ...these are easier to learn and pays you decent.
This comment should have 1000 likes.
mike g - Thanks for sharing from your long experience. Good luck with your IT studies. I retired from a 31-year IT career, from 1985 to 2016, doing programming, business analysis, (software development) project management, report writing, network administration, and management. But the field has broadened so much over the years. Find a niche that excites you and stick with it.
Maybe robotics! Then you can design robots to take over ALL of the warehouse tasks!! Sounds like they are too tedious and repetitive for humans.
I spent almost as long as you doing that shit and all they do is push you harder. It isn't worth it and get out while you can.
Jeff Wilke should be forced to work for 6 months in one of those warehouses trying to "make rate"
There was a TV show like that. I forget what it was called but yeah, it would serve as a big wake up call. This dude is full of shit, dismissing the complaints and not really wanting to look into it or do anything about it.
@@wordivore Undercover Boss?
Some jobs at Amazon are way easier than others. You literally have security people and managers who sit around all day pretending to look busy.
It's the people who get paid the least who do the most work.
I was a founder of the Audible department. One day they called me into the office and said I was fired because there was an "allegation" made by a woman. No other details were revealed. No questions were answered. No one knows who said what, they just used that tactic to fire me. We make way less than minimum wage by the way.
I speak 3 languages, high education, single dad, etc. Believe me we are disposable.
The Amazon executive didn’t answer one question he was asked. He just stated facts about the company over and over….
Typical execs
That’s what they get the 6 figure salary’s for
You just got a free lesson on what it takes to be an executive, honey. You're welcome.
My cousin works in mid level mngmt and his bonus is more than his employees yr pay . I will never use Amazon and that's the truth.
They will not say anything that would get them or the company in legal trouble. Just like HR, they (execs) routinely brief/ consult with their legal and public relations departments.
The solution is easy. Just put the "CEO" in the fulfillment job for a month. If he hasn't quit, then the productivity rates are reasonable.
“Hands on training” haha 😂
I don't know, I think he has a light at the end of the tunnel. "Just keep my mouth shut and I go back to making millions"
I worked at a place where all new hires, including managers (reportedly), worked on the quality control benches the first week. The purpose was for everyone to build an appreciation of the workers that did the grunt work. There was still an elite class, but the overall environment was friendly.
@@JohannesWOW Uhhh... No. He didn't start the business from a garage. You are thinking of HP and Apple.
You think this paper pusher wants to put an honest day's working?
"We'll fix it!"
Yes. By shitcanning the person that brings it up.
Aren't all employees replaceable? I'm not seeing why an Amazon employee is different from anyone else
Todd Pardoe. Work there for an hour.
Todd try working at Barona Casino we’re there have been employees murdered and suicides.
I once heard a Nissan manager tell an employee “I’m way up here, and you’re way down there “.
I found a new job (better paying too) two weeks later and traded in my car for a Toyota a month afterwards. I’ve been happier ever since. 😊
A) Toyota’s have never, ever let me down! B) I worked for far too long for an older brother who used to say, ‘Do as I say, not as I do’, like you I left, found a really great job soon enough.
Toyota the best
You really showed him. 😒
@@autofocus4556 what else could I do?
@Shinshocks Hahaha now that’s some awesome advice
"They can raise their hand and say this isn't right and we'll fix it.'' you mean by firing them, that's how you fix ''problems''...
that was my thought too.
i know that’s correct. “ Problem solved, Mr Manager!”
lol. These same people who complain about being disposable will swipe past items they buy online to find the cheapest item. lol
He doesn't care, his net worth is 75Billion.
That’s literally what the unions have been doing and amazon just shut down these unions.
Home Depot was the same way. When stocking the shelves, heavy items listed on the box stated it required 2 people to lift it. The majority of the time you were the only one in the department. You'd have to go to another department, find someone, pull them from what they were doing just to help you. Keep in mind there were quotas needed to be met, so rather than take the time to find someone, you'd just man handle the box. Home Depot of course knew this. If by chance you pulled a muscle, they'd simply point out the box stating a two man lift. Then you were fired for non compliance. The days of your employer caring about you and your safety are long gone. Five more are waiting to take your place.
Man when I become CEO of my company I’ll treat my “employees” how i treat myself. In fact I don’t like the term “employee.” I rather call them teammates working together to better the world through our product. It’s BECAUSE of you that we are thriving!
It always pisses me off when these upper echelon jerks rationalize ,but never directly answer the question
they do that because the other 2 options are to either tell the truth and get exposed or to lie and have it come back through investigation that they were full of shit. hence why they never give straight answers
All CEOs should work at the lowest level and see how it is. Oh yeah that is Undercover boss
Yep, kinda like Ubers CEO
because all the nice upper echelon dont work
I was told by me staff developer during my interview "I dont like promoting people from the inside because most of the time they end up failing", I was like wow that's kinda discouraging, 2 years later I gota say he was 100% right, most of these people dont have the work ethic or skills to actually move up and dont deserve anything except a minimum wage job. On top of the fact that minimum wage in America pays more than half the world pays their doctors. Low skill doesn't mean no skill, if you are truly a no skill employee with the education level of an elementary schooler you shouldn't expect anything except manual labor.
All corporations think exactly the same way. Workers are disposable.
Exactly. Pretty much every big corporation holds the same notion. I worked at a big bank and was absolutely nothing to them. They lied and fought so I wouldn't get unemployment, and they wouldn't even hire me in another position - once they're done with you, they are done FOREVER.
And most every business as well, my older brother inherited my fathers small business, he went from a cool brother working along side me to heartless, greedy slave driver,...he was/is a real prick.
Walmart?
Not the necessary trucking industry.
They fight to keep their truckers. The company itself is disposable. I could quit my trucking job and get a new one before I finish my application.
Yes I got my last trucking job before I finished and submitted my application.
(Didn't feel like filling out the long application on my phone was gonna finish it later on my laptop. Then they called me at my previous job)
@@gregflores8959 money corrupts people. Personal experience when my grandfather passed away.
It’s called WORK people, not social time. I retired working at a state prison in Illinois after 28 years. We all have choices in life, choose wisely. Not the most physically challenging job but you constantly watched your back and your coworkers.
You wouldn't last a month.
State prison… yeah your LAZY and probably a BULLY too
I worked there for a bit. I had a PTSD episode one shift, the loud banging of equipment set me off. I was instructed to go home and take a couple days off. When I returned for my shift, I was informed of my termination. They treat employees like they're machinery. Replace when it breaks.
You've got to hand it to the CEO, he is amazing at coming up with lies quickly during the interview. I guess that is why Amazon pay him all these hundreds of millions.
Corporate Americas finest skill is the ability to bullsh*t in a timely and convincing manner. Everyone needs to be lied to except for the board in a private setting.
Sociopath...
Oh no.. What you see is coached and rehearsed game. It is 100% professionalism. He is not "coming up" with anything. All of his words, jestures, facial expression, body position, and more are planned, rehearsed, practiced many times over. What you see is an actor playing the role. No better depiction of a sociopath - watch the video again to see how it looks.
@@GreatWhiteNiko NAILED IT
@@GreatWhiteNiko Yup. Watch his eyes. Dude is furious.
You don't have to buy from Amazon.
Just remember that.
Not yet. Walton and Besos are neck and neck in the race toward full market monopoly.
And you don't have to work there either...
@@bobbunni8722 Sometimes people need jobs. Doesn't mean they should be exploited for trying to work to feed their families.
And pay 10x more expensive in local stores with terrible customer services? No thank. These workers always have a choice to leave for another companies at any given time.
This is one of many reasons companies are outsourcing. Americans complain too much.
@@ryannguyen916 everyone wants to be manager.. because thats just what you do.. have big aspirations and dream.. and nobody wants to do the work.. its not easy or fun.. EVERY child in america was raised thinking they are kings and princesses... its created a mental issue.. there are a LOT of crappy demeaning jobs out there and very very VERY few 'set for life' spots your gonna find..
Amazon basically.
Show you're a monopoly without telling everyone that you're a monopoly.
I've always thought about working at amazon but I have totally changed my mind after things I've learned and heard about it. Just watching this video gave me extreme anxiety and my heart rate go crazy . And I'm a hard worker I've been at my current job 15 years . But this. This is too much.
“If the rates are too high, you’re not gonna have people showing up for work”.
Yes you will, because people have bills and most people are one paycheck away from being homeless!!
Have you ever been in a major population area? I've been at two workplaces where turnover was just insane and the job wasnt even that hard.
EarlFaulk yes, at Life Time Fitness back in 2012. It was insane! But a lot of people have gotten so lost and desperate that they will stay at places that are tearing them down because they have a limited vision to the options and opportunities around them.
Paycheck to paycheck sucks man.
Exactly! Those were my thoughts as well. He's like "it must be a great job to them!" 😂
If the rates are too high You’re never going to have people showing up for work? Say what?!?!?
At the end where he says "fix it" he means fire them.
Amazon RARELY fires their employees. They place their employees on "probation" for a YEAR. Mind, you they don't need a reason either and its all legal. Placing their employees on "probation" for a whole year absolves Amazon of any and all obligations , accountabilities and any legalities via this practice. During the year probation one cannot bring suit to Amazon, given that one year probation is legal. After the year, one still cannot bring suit against Amazon; given that the one year is the legal statutory deadline to bring suit. Nor can one collect unemployment during this time of "probation".
Yep. They know what they are doing and the gov't is allowing it.
I worked once in a warehouse, just doing stocktake and since then I swore never to do that work again.
Workers unions need to make a BIG comeback in this country.
When most employees are saying the same thing then 100% of the time they are right.
I just looked up the reviews and Amazon workers rate their job 3.9 out of 5, the other percent are lazy old ass people not wanting to work
@@michaeltren4910 WTF....that 3.9 does not reflect all works as some did not participate in that survey
@@ANGELSURS lazy ass people need to stop complaining
Everyone: " AMAZON IS DISGUSTING"
Everyone Tomorrow: Orders from Amazon 😂
Facts lol
True.
the company is junk, got a $25 gift card wanted to use it on buying some silver but was not allowed to, what the hell? so someone gave them this money for the giftcard but yet they say what you can spend it on?? Sick & Criminal!
I dont order from them
lmao if you dont like it then dont work for amazon
@9:50
Lol. I used to work at amazon as a waterspider for stow. We use pallet jacks to bring work to our stowers. I'm very meticulous about time. So I calculated the time it takes freight to a station.
We had to tend to seven stations and anytime you are doing a task, someone is depleting work then you get in this game of whack a mole. It exhausts you.
So how I cheated the system was I did double pallet jack technique to transport two pallets. This involves one pallet jack being pulled from the back then another being pushed in front. I've done it for the entire year and got so good at it that if I decided to be safe then my side would be behind.
This got me caught up significantly faster. I've brought up numerous times that we need a runner since we are tiring out. But management's excuse would be since we are NOT making rate for our department, they can't budget a runner for us.
So I asked that it's okay to exhaust a person and hope they don't collapse?
Then the constant musical chairs of managers, you get a never ending of them that have zero empathy.
You are just disposable. That’s every single job out there
Nope. Specialized trades, doctors, engineers, companies begging for us.
Not true.
Yup.
well last time i said to my boss hey wanna see my hands go somewhere else, I won
MaksimIzer You are replaceable. It’s not as though there is only one doctor, only one engineer.
I currently work at amazon. In my first year, two people have died and I see people everyday hobbling around the facility because they have a bad back, knee etc. The rates are destroying people's lives.
Then you should save yourself and quit immediately.
Wow did you say you still work there?
Kinda proves that it's people making bad choice's...even when they know better
Why are you still there? Quit and find something better.
@@revjaybird2 That's a great idea! I'm quit, spend a couple of months on vacation and then find my dream job. Thanks man!
Black Sheep once you find your dream job, are you going to do the buy out?
That interview was so rehearsed, I'd given that CEO more respect if he'd just said "I plea the fifth" after every question asked.
Hi, current employee at one of the Cleveland locations.
The CEO could not be more wrong on why people return to work for their shifts. It's not because it's a great place to work. Some of us can't get another job with the same benefits. The warehouse is a minefield of safety issues and OSHA violations and favoritism is a massive component in order to move up in the company.
The CEO was ice skating around them questions kinda impressive how media trained he was
Yeah. I noticed the same thing. He barely answered the question. As soon as he did, he just threw a bunch of words out there, and did not let the correspondent think. "yes, we know we can't treat people like slaves, but that is why we are proud of the dozens of jobs we have created, and the positive impact we have had in countless communities. Did you know Amazon fulfillment workers have the same health insurance as Jeff Bezos?"
@@ivanvillalobos7734 🤣😂facts he did
He is trained to not allow himself to get cornered when answering difficult questions. Deflecting his answers away from the true intent of the questions.
Psycopathy can be impressive.
the true skills of top executives, bullshit and bluster
I quit yesterday. As someone who suffers from depression, being a picker was a very isolating job that made my depression worse. After 5 months, I had reached my breaking point both physically and mentally. I had to preserve my sanity.
Sorry, hope you're doing a little better now. I read or saw something about the fulfillment center employees being positioned in such a way that they couldn't speak to each other. Many said it was isolating.
Yeah from what people say i think anybody can get depressed from working in amazon, and it could be hell for depressed people Allready
I hope your in a better place now. ♥️
I quit in December because of peak smh I was so worn out I had to go to my dermatologist for something potent to get rid of the horrible dark spots under my eyes .
Doesn’t sound rewarding
This is not new to manufacturing. It's not just Amazon that treats warehouse workers like this. I'm happy some light is being shown on factory work.
Just left the company for a another job in my field. Overall the experience was positive. Leadership and managers where beyond fantastic and friendly. The higher ups where just there when they needed to be. The work was the same everyday and I never felt challenged. Never had issues with rates. Was only told once during my time to pick it up. Overall I wouldn’t recommend it has a full time job but part time sure. I may return in the future if I need a 2nd job but for now I am happy that I am getting a full time job back in my field.
You must do a lot of drugs.
Most people:
"Yeah, Amazon is evil!"
*buys something on Amazon*
That's the thing. They're evil, yet their convenience is undeniable in today's world where people don't even want to get into a car to do their own shopping. Furthermore, they're too powerful to compete against. Any competitions that'll come up will just get crushed or assimilated. The only way for it to get better is for the company to change from within, but we already know that shit ain't happening unless somehow the majority of their employees to go on strike and/or their consumers to boycott their services which is pretty much impossible.
So true. I have no problem with the way they run their business. If you don't like it find employment elsewhere. Oh wait, you are probably barely employable to begin with.
@@KP-hi1om so treating workers like crap like not using the bathroom okay? lol
@@ladyriethegoldendelmo5441 oddly enough I'm a HR mgr. If employees use the restroom too much they'd have to get an ADA or be disciplined. Go figure.
@@KP-hi1om are you a psychopath? Cause it definitely sounds like it.