Employees call extra work over holidays 'gruelling' experience that 'takes a rigorous toll'
Amazon is mandating extra hours for employees during the holiday season in a move that staff are condemning.
Motherboard unveiled in a new report this week the experience of Amazon workers during the peak season, when demand is high and the workforce is thin.
One employee revealed that Amazon implements a so-called mandatory extra time (MET) in order to meet the delivery requirements.
“I haven't heard of a case of them not giving that notification or saying that you can leave when it's time to leave. They have us slated to work past working time," the Great Lakes region worker told Motherboard on the condition of anonymity
Amazon's peak season comes around the middle of October until late December, an Amazon spokesperson told Motherboard.
Staff are reported to have to work 55-hour shifts weekly, or 11 hours for five days, with the possibility of voluntary extra time, according to an employee from Massachusetts.
"That extra day is not a choice," the worker told Motherboard. "It's what we have to do. We're forced to work it."
The employee further described the experience as "very gruelling and unsettling… It takes a rigorous toll on us, both physically and mentally.”
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An Amazon spokesperson told Motherboard that employees are "never required to work more than 60 hours a week, or more than 12 hours a day" even during the peak season.
Fliers to support workers
Amazon has several fliers that address the experience of staff during the peak season. One is urging employees to look out for each other and their mental and physical health. Another is encouraging workers to inform their manager right away in cases of injury, illness, discomfort, or fatigue.
Employees are also encouraged to be hydrated, according to one flier obtained by Motherboard, and are told to inform their manager immediately if they feel ill at work.
Amazon is known to hire seasonal workers alleviate the heavy workload anticipated for the holiday season. This year, the retail giant announced that it is hiring 150,000 employees in the United States for the busy shopping season.
Last year, the company also said it is hiring 150,000 seasonal workers, with new hires to receive a sign-on bonus of up to $3,000.
Benefits of peak season
However, a separate report from Get Circuit revealed that more than nine in 10 delivery drivers prefer working during the holiday season. The reasons being:
- more tips (72%)
- more jolly customers (69%)
- less boredom (57%)
- fun outdoor decorations (48%)
- work feels more rewarding (27%)
More than half (53%) of delivery drivers work three weeks or more of overtime a month around the holiday season, while 37% work at least two weeks, according to the survey of 600, while 89% of drivers say Christmas is their busiest holiday.