12-30-2024
Amazon is making the news for several reasons. First, CEO Andy Jassy ordered everyone back to the office five days a week by January 1, 2025. Yet, its offices do not have enough room for all the people ordered back to work. Amazon told staff members in Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, and New York that they can continue their hybrid arrangements until offices are ready (Business Insider). These delays will allow workers to keep their current arrangements into possibly May. Inc. notes the irony of a company known for its logistical expertise being unready for the full influx of its staff. Apparently, the same problem occurred when the company changed from a fully remote to a hybrid schedule. The RTO mandate continues to be unpopular with the staff.
Meanwhile, Amazon drivers began their strike on December 18, clearly intending to disrupt holiday deliveries and wanting Amazon to feel the impact. The strike is limited to seven Amazon sites, including New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Chicago. The Teamsters stated that about 9,000 workers joined the strike. Amazon issued a statement minimizing any impact from the strike, assuring customers that it had planned for contingencies.
Lastly, a Senate committee published a report on its investigation into Amazon’s treatment of warehouse employees. The committee found internal Amazon documents linking its employee production quotas to higher injury rates. Amazon health and safety employees recommended lowering the quotas to reduce injuries. Senior executives rejected the recommendations in favor of keeping the company’s performance. The report noted that Amazon’s injury rates are almost twice the average for the rest of the industry. An Amazon spokesperson said that the internal studies and recommendations in the report were later found invalid by the company.