[Follow-up: Amazon refutes BBC’s poor working conditions report: ‘Safety of our associates is our number one priority’]
Original story:
Amazon has taken some heat during the past few years over its treatment of warehouse workers, but now one report cites Amazon working conditions that can cause mental illness.
BBC reporter Adam Littler went undercover and worked at Amazon’s Swansea warehouse in Wales as a “picker,” finding products and taking instructions from a handset.
Based on his experience, Littler said that the job made him feel like a robot and after walking 11 miles during one 10.5-hour shift, he was “absolutely shattered.”
This caused a leading job stress expert to say that Amazon’s working conditions were “all the bad stuff at once.”
“The characteristics of this type of job, the evidence shows increased risk of mental illness and physical illness,” Professor Michael Marmot told BBC.
Amazon told BBC that it warns employees of the demands of some warehouse jobs and has used experts to make sure its working conditions are physically and mentally safe.
The report comes during Amazon’s busiest time of the year as it hires an additional 70,000 seasonal workers this holiday season to help sort, pick and pack goods at its growing network of fulfillment centers. That’s a 40 percent uptick in holiday hiring over last year.
We reached out to Amazon for comment and will update when the company responds.
Update, 4:30 p.m. PST: Amazon sent us their response, which you can read here.
