While searching around for articles for this blog, I came to the sad realization that it is much more easy to spot the villains of the business industry than any superhero that may be roaming around doing good for their organization. Today I’m focusing on Amazon.com and the recent controversy over the working conditions in their factory located near Allentown, Pennsylvania. The truth is those of use who use Amazon.com don’t know much more beyond the retailer besides the website. I’ve been buying and selling books and gadgets on Amazon for years now, and I honestly never thought about how the item got from them to me, like most consumers, I just wanted it to happen quickly.
The Amazon warehouse located in Pennsylvania has been having terrible work conditions related to this extremely hot summer we just experienced, and these hot work conditions are specific to only this warehouse. People who began work in that factory in the early months of the year stated that they loved their job, and tried to perform at the pace that was expected of them. But as temperatures rose and the heat index increased, workers were pushed to work at an unattainable pace, leading to lower productivity than management had forecasted. Positive job performance is heavily correlated with a positive work environment, and I know I would have trouble working in a building that was 114 degrees at any given time.
Amazon management rebuttals by stating that during these conditions they gave employees free water, fruit, and snacks to rejuvenate their strength; but in conditions like that extra fluids and food can only do so much good. When performance begins to decrease among individuals, managers go looking for answers. In my opinion being over-heated is a valid excuse for working slower than you would in a stable work environment, but that is not the case in this warehouse. When management came inquiring about the slow down in productivity and workers responded with the truth about the heat and working conditions, management translated this into suspension or termination.
Amazon uses a temporary employment company to find suitable applicants for their jobs, and they say that there are plenty of eager applicants out there looking for work at Amazon. So do they really even care about the forty year old woman suffering from asthma who can’t keep up with production from the heat, or are they just going to terminate her and replace her with someone who isn’t so fed up with the working conditions? Working conditions are a large part of job performance and motivation, but the way we are treated in the work place is important too.
Some employees may be suffering from continuance commitment, where they just cannot afford to leave. In an economy like this finding a job is a blessing, and with the unemployment rate so high, people are taking what they can get. But why is it just this warehouse that is experiencing so many problems regarding the weather? How did Amazon management not foresee the need to industrial air-conditioners in a warehouse located in Pennsylvania? Employees said that Amazon management had paramedics standing by to monitor any employee that fainted or had any reaction to the over heated warehouse. When medical professionals need to present on site doesn’t that tell management that something is not right? Amazon wants their employees to work hard and at a productive level, but without providing the proper environment to do so; so how can they expect so much from their employees?
Soper, Spencer. "Amazon Warehouse Workers Complain of Harsh Conditions." The Los Angeles Times: Business". October 1, 2011
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1001-amazon-allentown-20111001,0,5945449,full.story
3 comments:
You really made a great case for the stress the company put on its workers. They really did not account for employees who would be particularly disturbed by these conditions. Did anyone there notice the ethical nature of their decisions or their superiors decisions? I wonder how that is best handled.
-Matt M.
I too have purchased many things off of Amazon.com and it never really crossed my mind how much work must go into shipping out that large volume of products to the never ending stream of customer orders. I have worked as maintenance worker at a park district for an entire summer in extreme heat and thankfully they were sympathetic by allowing breaks to cool off, but I could not imagine actually losing my job because my managers thought I was performing up to their standards in 100 degree heat.
Michael Lorimer
I've worked in a warehouse before so I can completely relate to this situation. There was barley any air conditioning and the warehouse was understaffed; This led a lack in my motivation to complete orders. It's outrageous that a Fortune 500 company doesn't care for or respect the well being of their employees.
-Eddie Nemeth
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