By Toby Groves
Whether you use it or not, everybody knows about Amazon. This worldwide company has grown to be one of the most successful businesses in recent history. Amazon has grown a lot over the years since its creation in 1994, but they are not immune to issues. One problem they face is the way they treat their employees. Here are some of the dangers of working for Amazon.
Amazon employees are packaging, bending, running, and lifting boxes for 10-12 hours a day just to get your order to your house in 2 days. Having severe working conditions can have an effect on the company’s employees. One problem is that, aside from breaks, employees don’t have any time for leeway or mistakes. If they stop for a few seconds outside of their designated breaks, it hurts their performance evaluations.
Of the 145 Amazon employees surveyed in a recent study, 66% said they experience physical pain while performing regular duties. From the same study, 42% said they still experience pain even when they’re not working. The pain stems from mostly their feet, but also their lower backs and knees.
Having a working environment in which employees are in constant physical pain throughout their shift, and even when they’re off duty, is an injustice, and needs to be changed. Not to mention that these pains are not always temporary. Experts are saying that these constant strains on muscles and your body can lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
“I feel pain in my back, in my waist, because I do a lot of bending … Even if you squat, you still feel the pain in your waist. It’s a full-body workout all day every day.”
Amazon employees also face a mental strain as well. They can feel as though they are pressured into performing past their limits in order to receive good performance evaluations and maintain their career. These issues have shown to affect their sleep and cause psychological stress.
Just because Amazon is a successful company doesn’t mean it is immune to safety regulations and proper support for their employees. Amazon is an ever-growing company and requires a lot of management and staff to keep things moving. However, with the lack of support that they show for their workers, it is hard to see if this company will change their rules, or have their regulations stay the way they are.
Plaid Line 
