AMAZON on BBC1 Undercover

john539

AP007 wrote: »

Staff walking over 8 miles on a shift! Working in the dark too with a count down on the scanner used to 'pick' stock' off the shelves.

AP007 wrote: »

A day off sick = 1 point
Get sent home for being sick = 1 point

2 points final warning
3 points see you later

Looks & sounds grim.

john539

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

They used to bang on about that 10,000 steps a few years ago and everyone was wearing those pedometers.
Even 5 miles is a lot for a person to do everyday I think.
10 miles to walk would take over 3 hours as the average person walks about 3 miles per hour. People wouldnt have time for all that.

10 miles is a long long way to walk continuously for most people.

Atidi

Dovah_diva wrote: »

Actually, he complained about having blisters and was therefore moved to a smaller 'round'. When they had healed he was put back on his normal round. I think that is actually quite reasonable of the managers, hardly a punishment.

Then I think he complained he had to do more picking on this shorter round. (more picks per minute)

What did he expect? If he's not walking, he should be picking!

John1993_2

john539 wrote: »

10 miles is a long long way to walk continuously for most people.

If someone were being made to walk 10 miles continuously at Amazon, then you'd have a great point there.

Atidi

John1993 wrote: »

This sort of complaint makes no sense at all to me. As I've mentioned previously, I used to have to start work at 6:40 in the morning. On day 1 I was told to never, ever be late, which meant to be sitting there, computer on, at 06:40, ready to work.

Not strolling in with a coffee, not coming in the door downstairs, not in the coat room, but at the desk, ready to go.

So I was. Every day, for six years.

How can people think that being ready to work at the start of your shift is unfair?

Agreed.

I don't remember any job where being on the clock and clocking in late (or clocking out early) didn't get you an automatic disciplinary. (unless agreed in advance, and even then it was best to get the supervisor/manager to do a manual over-ride rather than trying to explain the situation to the controller later)

If you are working on say a production line, guess what happens if you are not there at the time they want to start up the line. Yes you may only be a very small cog in a very big wheel, but when even the tiniest cog is missing, the wheels don't turn properly.

Even working in some staff positions, I've known some employers to place very strong empahasis on the self-discipline required to be at your desk on time, every time.
(even if you are only brewing the coffee, or discussing what you watched on Panorama last night)

googler

john539 wrote: »

10 miles is a long long way to walk continuously for most people.

Yes, but it's 10 miles under cover, in (presumably) air-conditioned comfort, with none of the hazard issues that go with other occupations that we could easily name.

They walk, they pick up stuff, put it in a trolley, take the trolley somewhere else. Then they walk to pick up some more stuff.

C'mon, that's not bad.

dktreesea

Atidi wrote: »

Even working in some staff positions, I've known some employers to place very strong empahasis on the self-discipline required to be at your desk on time, every time.
(even if you are only brewing the coffee, or discussing what you watched on Panorama last night)

It depends what people are used to. A lot of people wouldn't put up with a job where the boss gets shirty if you turn up 2 minutes late.

This is an article from early 2013 but it does shed a bit more light on Amazon's work practices.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/ed6a985c-70bd-11e2-85d0-00144feab49a.html#slide6

John1993_2

dktreesea wrote: »

It depends what people are used to. A lot of people wouldn't put up with a job where the boss gets shirty if you turn up 2 minutes late.

And a lot of bosses won't deal with staff who get shirty with being expected to turn up on time.

It's really not too much to ask, that staff are ready for work at the start of their shift.

dktreesea

John1993 wrote: »

And a lot of bosses won't deal with staff who get shirty with being expected to turn up on time.

It's really not too much to ask, that staff are ready for work at the start of their shift.

Punctuality doesn't of itself mean a lot. I've seen people who turn up on time every day and not achieve much during their day, and people who turn up late consistently but get more done in a hour than the on time jobsworths do all day. Is a clean desk a sign of an ordered mind or of someone who never gets much done in a day, hence the forever tidy desk? Give me a creative person who can think outside the box anyday, even if they don't always turn up at 8.30am, rather than a human automaton goody two shoes who arrives on time but leaves three quarters of their brain at home when they come to work.

safestored4

The trouble with your analysis is that many jobs, including Amazon pickers, don't require, or can accomodate, the so called creative person who can think outside the box. Nice trendy Islington phrases but pray tell us in practical terms what they mean, and how they apply to the sorts of job being discussed here.