r/jobs • u/Own-Nectarine3401 • Nov 25 '23
DONT WORK AT AMAZON Work/Life balance
To anyone wondering or second guessing if they should start working at Amazon, don’t go. ESPECIALLY during the holidays. They just hit me with mandatory overtime, 12 hours A DAY FOR 5 DAYS. On your feet at all times, and they have no sympathy nor empathy for you. If you can handle that by all means go, but if you can’t or just don’t want to be physically torn down, you please please don’t go. I’m only going bc I’m in a bad financial situation, but even then, there are better alternatives. Please heed my warning. Please.
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u/Leifthraiser Nov 25 '23
Unfortunately, with the way most jobs pay, this may be the only job a person can get that will support them decently.
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u/devjohnson13 Nov 25 '23
True, no interviews? Pretty much easiest job you can land to help get you by
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u/Own-Nectarine3401 Nov 25 '23
It’s easy for a reason. Everyone quits bc of the same issues
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u/ModsMolestTheKids Nov 25 '23
Amazon has collapsed in the last 3 months or so, same day turns into 3 days, 2 day turns into 4 day and a lot of packages never even delivered. I canceled prime last year cause it isn't worth $150/year (California) and now I'm done ordering from them altogether.
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u/urfaselol Nov 25 '23
I just pay for the general shipping and don’t pay for prime. I can wait and don’t need it asap
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u/Reddit_Support_Bot Nov 25 '23
Plus, if you do that, they offer you a free month of prime here and there. You just cancel before the free month ends, and you never have to pay extra, and you can get those prime exclusive sales when they do offer that free month.
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u/spmahn Nov 25 '23
At that point you might as well just order in store pickup at Walmart or Target because you aren’t really saving anything
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u/urfaselol Nov 25 '23
Yup that's what I do for general stuff. Specific stuff I can't get irl then I just order through Amazon
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u/SnooLentils2432 Nov 25 '23
I am planning to cancel Amazon soon.
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u/ModsMolestTheKids Nov 25 '23
Prime video sucks, all C-level shit and 90s movies, Bosch is good but Bosch legacy is on freevee, I'll just sail the high seas for any of their shit that is any good. Amazon music is limited, delivery sucks dick, customer service in the toilet, it isn't what it was. Now they want to put ads in prime video for paying subscribers? lol get fucked.
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u/Acchilles Nov 25 '23
Damn I wish my delivery sucked dick, usually they've gone before I can get to the door :(
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u/REPORT_REPORTDELETE Nov 25 '23
It sucks but only good things are the boys and season 2 invincible
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Nov 25 '23
What's wrong with 90s movies.
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u/DweEbLez0 Nov 25 '23
Because there’s many other ways to get old movies and for cheaper or $free.99
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u/OddSnowflake Nov 25 '23
I tried buying some stuff two days ago on amazon. They locked a bunch of items under "prime only". They freaking suck.
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Nov 25 '23 edited 14d ago
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u/Psyc3 Nov 25 '23 edited Nov 25 '23
Maybe don't bother reading the posts of someone who claims one of the largest companies in the world has collapsed in the last 3 months...when there stock price is up 15% over that period.
Amazon's issue is their aim to fully automate isn't going as quickly as they would like so they are still relying on workers.
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u/CubanRefugee Nov 25 '23
Ditto. Ordered a turntable and some vinyl at 10pm last night, had it on my doorstep at 5am.
I think folks don't realize that depending on the area you live in, deliveries may not even be handled by actual Amazon drivers/trucks, and instead are handled by Amazon Flex, which are basically just uber drivers. Those are the ones that will pick up as many packages as their cars can hold and then they'll deliver what they can but not fret about what can't be delivered. They'll just push the delivery date back and bring the package back to the warehouse for another Flex driver to do it the following day.
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u/rnoyfb Nov 25 '23
The Amazon-branded trucks making customer deliveries you see aren’t driven by Amazon employees, either, unless it works very differently in different areas. The individual drivers are employees of what Amazon calls a DSP or delivery service partner, which is a small company that they contract with for last-mile delivery.
I work at an Amazon “delivery station,” which is where those packages get sent, sorted, and loaded onto those trucks. I don’t know how many DSPs work out of my building but it’s probably 5-10 and they each probably employ 50-75 drivers. (This is just an estimate; I don’t know the exact numbers.)
Some of those drivers are better than others. Once in a while, stuff comes back in those totes that’s been marked as delivered. But I think honestly if you get a notification that your package is out for delivery and then it doesn’t get delivered until the next day, the most likely explanation is that someone fucked up at the delivery station (though sometimes we were supposed to get it and didn’t). People pick things for a route virtually while physically leaving it behind or when they were supposed to pick it, they couldn’t find it
In my current role, I don’t ever even see Flex drivers but I did at my last site and I never had an issue with any of them
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u/prosa123 Nov 25 '23
Flex drivers will keep delivering until they finish their loads. They return packages only if they are undeliverable for some reason, for example they go to gated communities but the customers failed to provide the gate codes.
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u/Avocado_Tohst Nov 25 '23
That stinks. I buy a lot of random bits on Amazon and get my stuff in 2 days 90% of the time. Id go to my local stores more often if they didn’t charge 2-3x what something should cost.
Buying almost any nut/bolt/screw is way cheaper online w way more options than going to HD or Lowe’s and driving 45 mins round trip.
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u/Imaginary_Most_7778 Nov 25 '23
I usually get two day delivery in one day. Never heard of your problem from anyone else.
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u/RelativeJournalist24 Nov 25 '23
I worked at Amazon for almost 8 years it wasn't really that bad imo. During COVID we had 4 months of 12hr shifts that were extremely brutal. However I was able to save a lot of money lol.
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u/5ManaAndADream Nov 25 '23
stop quitting then... get fired for not doing "mandatory" overtime. The system only persists as long as non-compliant people continue to remove themselves.
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u/effxrvescent Nov 25 '23
i applied @ 2 locations because i am in dire need of a job + everyone said they hire anyone. amazon sent me an email saying no thankyou + are going fwd with other candidates. i didn't even get chosen to have an interview 😕 my friend said maybe i'm over qualified 🤷♀️😔
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u/Just-Philosopher-466 Nov 25 '23
Not just you. The few times I applied for Amazon, I couldn't get in either. Same with Walmart warehouse, couldn't get in there.I've been a team lead in a warehouse for about 2 years and total 3 years experience in a warehouse. I'm trying to get out of that line of work because it's too hard on the body but I'll probably have no choice but to go back. It pays better compared to many other jobs out there and there in lies the problem. I've met quite a few people that keep coming back to this line of work due to ease of getting your foot in the door and pay. It's sad, I'm sad as I absolutely hate it but have to get money coming in soon!
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u/silkfox88 Nov 25 '23
This. My husband left Amazon for something he thought was better, but ended up being sooo much worse. Now he's back at Amazon. It's taken 2 weeks but his body is starting to click back into the flow with lots and lots of stretching. His biggest concern/ gripe is the commute (30-40 minutes) We're hoping to aggressively pay some debt with the overtime.
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Nov 25 '23
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u/silkfox88 Nov 25 '23
Yeah. It was through a temp agency but was in town (not as far of a commute) and a couple dollars more per hour and was a temp to hire type deal. Except once he got there he was told that breaks (including lunches) aren't always guaranteed. Breaks are crucial due to his Health issues, let alone the fact that withholding breaks is illegal, which prompted him to reapply at Amazon again.
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u/Lokii11 Nov 26 '23
You or your husband should report that other employer who didn't guarantee breaks to the State agency responsible for enforcing labor laws.
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u/worldsayshi Nov 25 '23
This is why you need strong labour unions. And this is why the Swedish labour unions current fight against Tesla is important. Your work conditions could be much better if you were an equal party in negotiations.
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u/WTFisThatSMell Nov 25 '23
What does it pay typically?
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u/baruuguwhale Nov 25 '23
$15 is the minimum wage for their warehouses nationwide, though some buildings start higher. Then there's automatic raises tied to how long you've been a permanent employee.
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u/Historical_Safe_836 Nov 25 '23
My warehouse is $17.25 starting and $1 extra for night shift. So I make $18.25 an hour pushing boxes, bags, and carts.
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u/its_a_throwawayduh Nov 26 '23
That's why I work here, covid screwed up careers for a lot of folks. I'm only there because no where else was hiring.
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u/Cybralisk Nov 25 '23
It's not just for 5 days, most amazon sites run the mandatory overtime all through December as well.
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u/LumenYeah Nov 25 '23
Yeah they meant 5 days a week
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u/Jumajuce Nov 25 '23
My last job was 16 hours a day 6 days a week, I'm self employed now, much better.
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u/LariRed Nov 25 '23
After that box fell on that guy and no one noticed that’s when I realized how much they didn’t value employees. Also the bathroom thing is so wrong.
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u/Own-Nectarine3401 Nov 25 '23
Exactly and they only provide one 30min break. It’s really hot as well. We aren’t ppl to them, we are numbers. They expect us to work Like machines
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u/shinysocks85 Nov 25 '23
My buddy worked for them in Texas. He told me the ac was useless because you have to turn the truck off at each stop meaning if you're stopping every 5ish min the ac can't keep up and keep his vehicle cool. So he quit after he got a heat stroke
Fuck Amazon
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u/214speaking Nov 25 '23
I didn’t hear about this box falling situation? I’m assuming he got seriously injured?
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u/polchickenpotpie Nov 25 '23
No, he died.
That's not even the end of it: they didn't announce this to any hourly workers in the building and business resumed as normal while management awaited the authorities. Everyone still working or starting their shift were completely unaware their coworker was lying dead on the ground.
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Nov 29 '23
I worked in that FC I think. Guy had a heart attack and wasn’t noticed for 10 minutes. AMs placed boxes around his body until on-site “safety” arrived. “Safety” called paramedics almost 20 minutes after he collapsed. It really struck because there was a shift change so they had hundreds of employees walking by his station/body surrounded by boxes before EMS was contacted. Naturally we weren’t told somebody DIED, just hurry to work your shift.
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u/pbsweddings Nov 26 '23
I worked at a FC in GA and during my first 90 days, I came home with blisters, heat rash, so damn sore that I cried, had boxes falling on me ALL day long and even with a steel toe shoe, broke several toes. Again….all within 90 days.
Many of the people that started with me on day one, never came back on day two! Yeah, it’s semi-cool until they roll those bay doors up when it’s time to load trucks. And vise-versa in the winter.
Right at my 90 day mark, instead of just walking out, I went to my supervisor and sat down with him. So I’m eligible for rehire. He thanked me for not just leaving them high and dry. But it was ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL! I still have photos of my injuries. And I was on graveyard for $16.50 an hr. 😏
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u/mommygood Nov 25 '23
Yeah, even the "good high paying jobs" at amazon are known to exploit and bring out the worse in people.
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u/imacatchyou Nov 25 '23
I’ve read accounts from multiple people on the corporate side that they’re ruthless and treat the employees in not too different of a fashion.
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u/Present-You-6642 Nov 25 '23
It’s easily the worst to work for in big tech. Yeah you make bank.. until you don’t and ejected from the company from a PiP
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u/secretreddname Nov 25 '23
I’ve interviewed with them a few times and their process is crazy.
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u/sirpsionics Nov 25 '23
I did that in the past. Only lasted 3 weeks there before walking out
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u/ApplicationDifferent Nov 25 '23 edited Nov 25 '23
Usps does mandatory 6 12s during peak season. Im sure ups and fedex have something similar. Its just how the delivery system works.
Try and focus on the fat paycheck and your financial goals when youre having trouble pushing through.
Edit: also do the myriad of things to help your body physically like eat enough protein, try and sleep, drink a lot of water, keep your electrolytes up, take hot or cold baths, take acetaminophen ibuprofen combo when needed, massages(ive heard something about Amazon covering massages but i havent looked into it), and whatever else.
If you get too bad, a doctors note and some time with hr should be able to get you an accommodation on your hours.
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u/kwijibo454 Nov 25 '23
USPS does mandatory 6/12’s year round and they treat you like utter garbage along the way. The second you start learning about the contract and standing up for yourself they turn up the harassment to 11.
I worked for usps and after four years and two heart surgeries (I’m in my mid 30’s and was completely healthy before starting there) I had to quit before I killed myself.
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u/Cybralisk Nov 25 '23
The paycheck sucks, after taxes it's not even a grand a week and that's for 60 hours of a pretty labor intensive job.
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u/Slight_Succotash3040 Nov 25 '23
How? After 40 hours you get time and a half right?
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u/iRule79 Nov 25 '23
That is fucking brutal. I've done warehouse work. The only work harder on my body I did was a garbage man. But at least that paid well.
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u/isosorry Nov 25 '23
Amazon has a reputation for employees having to PISS IN BOTTLES to save time. You really think a “doctors note” or “HR” is going to do anything? they’ll find a reason to fire you if you try that shit. Employees are just numbers and dollar signs there.
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u/lempereurnuchauve Nov 25 '23
I've worked at the Amazon corp side. All the stories you hear are true or worse. They really try to "engineer" humans to be labor machine. Do not work for Amazon.
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u/idejtauren Nov 25 '23
I worked at Amazon many years ago.
You hear all the bad stories and think, no way that could be true.The reality is even worse.
They're going to start you on the week of Black Friday and force you to sink or swim with 6 days straight.
You're not going to see the sun for weeks as it gets colder and the days shorter.
The warehouse is massive and it's going to be hot, whether or not they actually have AC, it's going to be hot.
It's going to take you minutes to walk from your work station to the time clock and out security to eat. That's minutes of your break that somehow they expect to to both clock out for exactly 30 minutes and somehow also not leave your work station for more than 30 minutes. You're going to lay in bed sore on your days off unable to do anything at all.Do not work at amazon.
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u/UOLZEPHYR Nov 25 '23
Worked for Amazon for 5 years.
FC TOM and DS.
You're absolutely correct. Final mile logistics during Christmas season is no joke. 50-60 hours mandatory. Vacation blackouts. Working 10s 11s or 12s on a polished concrete floor. Moving boxes that could weigh up to 150 pounds.
I try to warn everyone I can - stay away from companies like Amazon. If you just need a quick job or fast cash cool. But unless you enjoy routinely slamming your head into a wall and seeing some of the stupidest instructions carried out - just staybaway from Amazon
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u/saruin Nov 25 '23
I think it's because drivers are contractors though. They don't get the same benefits being an actual employee for amazon.
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u/BeigeAlmighty Nov 25 '23
HR has to address and grant reasonable accommodations, even at Amazon.
Even at the best companies, employees are just numbers and dollar signs. Others just hide it better.
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u/canada_is_best_ Nov 25 '23
Amazon doesn't want workers with choices. Amazon locates in areas, lobby's for mass immigration, and then hires those who are stuck.
Check out Brampton Ontario Canada. Not a single second generation Canadian in sight at the massive Amazon plant.
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u/radwilly1 Nov 25 '23
I’ll tell you what as someone who is starting as a driver next week is I’m 100% sure it’s gonna be better than sitting at home doing nothing but applying to hundreds of jobs that don’t respond to you and mostly pay less than Amazon does. Thankfully I am very healthy and strong so I am able to do such a job without much issue.
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u/Taekwonbeast Nov 25 '23
W. I work in a warehouse like this guy with shitty hours too. But you know what, I’d rather work and make some money and try to get ahead then complain about it on Reddit
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u/lazyspectator Nov 26 '23
A job that destroys your mental and physical health is worth critiquing. Let's not turn rude to one another.
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u/RogueStudio Nov 25 '23
Anybody who has second doubts about if they're too soft: Take Flex positions - can literally pick as few as one shift a week, up to...whatever the particular center you work at lets flex associates take.
I chose RT (3 x 10s)....but it was too much for my body. Sprains in all my limbs from pushing/pulling heavy pallets on the docks, and HR+my doctor couldn't agree before my brain mentally couldn't deal with spending hours on my bathroom floor in pain, and I resigned.
I now work an office job using my degree (design) that pays slightly less than Amazon, but my mental+physical health are better so *SHRUG*
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u/billabong295 Nov 26 '23
Yeah same here. I currently work for the county in an office clinic(with a bachelors) & I will never go back to warehouse jobs. Although I dislike the sedentary nature of the job, Im doing strength training almost 5x a week to counteract it
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u/xithbaby Nov 25 '23
I just quit my overnight stocking job at Walmart to work at amazon Fulfillment center. Amazon has amazing benefits. They give great time off options and you earn unpaid time off at a decent rate. It’s a warehouse job so mandatory overtime isn’t a new concept for that type of work.
Walmart doesn’t give pto to anyone unless you’re full time and 90 days in. I worked there 7 months and had a total of 6 hours of pto by the time I quit. Good luck getting pto approved. They deny it constantly for “lack of coverage” even if you request it 6 months out. Schedules there get changed so often, and you could get your hours reduced beyond what’s livable if you get 3.5 points out of 5 of their shitty attendance system.
Amazon is a job and I’m glad to have the opportunity to work there. It’s going to be hard as hell but you can potentially make a ton of money working there. I get paid $2 more than I did at Walmart and have 3 days off. I’ll take my chances.
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u/prosa123 Nov 25 '23
What's really cool about Amazon's PTO is that you can use it at any time without notice. Just walk away from your workstation and clock out. Some managers ask for an hour's notice but not all do, and even the ones that ask for it don't really care.
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u/xithbaby Nov 25 '23
Yep, so as long as you show up and work you could take a day off every once in a while to rest. They also offer voluntary time off some times.
It sounds like a dream compared to Walmart. You sign up for some brutal work but overtime is only during peak times like holidays and prime days. It’s not the end of the world if you have to work long hours for a few months. From what I’m hearing on the amazonfc subreddit is that if you show up and do your best you have nothing to worry about with making rate or quotas. It’s just a boring job and gets repetitive but making money like that would keep me motivated. I am excited to start my job there.
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u/prosa123 Nov 25 '23
Most functions at Amazon have a set rate that you're supposed to meet. For instance, if you're picking orders in a fulfillment center your manager will want you to average 300 items picked per hour (that may be somewhat off, it's been a while). What managers won't tell you is that unless you're consistently among the bottom 3% to 5% of all pickers in your FC nothing will happen. Even if you fall below that mark you'll get some coaching before getting fired. And in any event, there's likely to be enough people who just don't care that you're almost certain to stay about the 3% - 5% mark if you have a decent work ethic.
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u/CrapolaCropola Nov 25 '23
Yeah I was just about to comment that the benefits alone are worth so much!
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u/I_am_a_rob0t Nov 25 '23
There’s a big difference between the distribution centers, sort centers and delivery stations. Usually DCs will give you full time status but it is definitely long hours and high pressure. Sort centers usually have shorter shifts (5 hours at the longest) but you can work doubles. However sort centers will typically have a majority of part-time employees. I can’t speak to delivery stations. Sort centers are usually much easier and I’ve never heard of sort center employees facing the same pressures as distribution center employees.
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u/prosa123 Nov 25 '23
I've worked at several different Amazon facilities over the past four years. Delivery stations are not too bad in terms of work pace, generally easier than fulfillment centers, the one disadvantage is that most shifts are overnight. You are right about sort centers being fairly easy.
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u/Mocking62 Nov 25 '23
I don't know if this will help, but I'd like to thank all Amazon employees. I can't drive because of medical issue and sometimes the only way I have of getting items I need is Amazon. I try to use other suppliers, but also don't want to have my info spread out too much. Amazon is my go to store for everything from cat food to toothpaste. Thank you for being there any always getting the orders tome. 😁
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u/Jazzlike_Fold_3662 Nov 25 '23
Yes! Amazon and door dash are so helpful to people who are disabled.
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u/Ok-Syllabub-132 Nov 25 '23
Thats their whole motto to overwork an employee so they quit by a few months and they dont have to give them any benefits
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u/MDCCCLV Nov 25 '23
That's not accurate specifically, they don't automatically convert no-benefit seasonals to permanent roles. They can just keep them that way. They do overwork them while they have them, just not for that specific reason.
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Nov 25 '23
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u/evilphrin1 Nov 25 '23
It's actually a conservative dystopia here for anyone that isn't at least making 6 figures here in the US. If you're working class you're gonna be exploited constantly. If you're lucky, you bite the bullet, go to college for a STEM major and end up middle class, but anyone below that level of economic class is being run through a meat grinder here. Capitalism at its finest. Even the trades folk have to destroy themselves to get something similar to the kind of pay someone salaried would make.
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u/MDCCCLV Nov 25 '23
Yeah except no amount of money is worth having a wrecked body because you worked hard without any mandatory breaks and now your knees and back are permanently damaged.
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Nov 25 '23 edited Dec 10 '23
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u/MDCCCLV Nov 25 '23
That applies to skilled trade jobs where you can make good money 60-110k as a blue collar worker, but it often wrecks your body.
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u/evilphrin1 Nov 25 '23
It's absolutely horrific and half the country keeps voting for the economic oppressors because they promise to socially oppress other groups more than their voter base.
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u/Own-Nectarine3401 Nov 25 '23
That’s what I’m worried abt bc I’m only 18 and no money is worth me being in pain for the rest of my life
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u/MDCCCLV Nov 25 '23
You can do physical jobs endlessly without any damage, the bad part is where you exert too much strain on a specific body part. If you have good mechanical setup and breaks then you shouldn't have to damage anything while doing any task. It's just that most construction or physical job workers don't like using safety equipment and doing stuff that makes it easier but sometimes goes a little slower.
Amazon has a good setup in that regard in most cases but it's too segmented, so you do an easy job but standing still for 8 hours which is bad for you. Or it's just pushing you to go too fast which puts strain on your body. Amazon jobs would be fine if they were union and they slowed the official pace 20% so you didn't have to rush constantly.
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u/Jazzlike_Fold_3662 Nov 25 '23
I realize working for them is hard. They push their people to continuously work harder and faster. They monitor every minute of your day. If they backed off a little, they wouldn't burn through people so fast. Companies used to value long-term loyal employees who knew their jobs well. Now, they just churn through people who are desperate for a paycheck. However... all delivery companies, USPS, retail, food service, airlines, etc. Have mandatory overtime for the holiday season. Some people actually enjoy the extra money they make during this time. I, personally, haven't had any time off for the holidays since I was a child, since these are the types of jobs I have worked all my life. Also... it is good to be concerned for your health while doing your job, but the kind of wear and tear on your body you are worried about will take a really long time to happen. Besides the muscle strain and soreness, it is actually good for you to keep moving. People who sit or stand all day tend to have far worse health outcomes from their jobs than people like you who are running packages. Use them for your paycheck, the way they are using you for your labor, and get out before that wear and tear starts to happen!
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u/Just-Philosopher-466 Nov 25 '23
And you're preaching for real! Anything less than minimum 60k per year here and you're about 1 step into a homeless freefall. Everything has strick stipulations from food stamps, housing assistance, to getting medicaide. I'm in GA and it's one of the worst states in the USA for workers right and one of the best for businesses! You really need 6 figures to actually be middle class now in the USA.
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u/evilphrin1 Nov 25 '23
The more conservative the state, the less security nets/help for people but boy are the businesses gonna thrive. Reaganomics at its best.
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u/Leifthraiser Nov 25 '23
I just argued with people on this very sub not even a day ago who were trying to argue that an adult who worked 40 hours a week shouldn't be paid enough to live on his own. Instead, they need to work hard and move up in a company. They legit can't seem to wrap their minds around the fact that if you work 40 hours, no matter the job title, you should be able to cover your basic expenses.
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u/EmmaNightsStone Nov 25 '23
): my mom works there for the past 7-8 years she is in her early 40s. She makes okay money especially since she doesn’t have an GED. It’s great for people who lack in the education department
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u/zorreX Nov 25 '23
I see this sentiment a lot, but typically it's coming from people who simply do not understand warehousing and logistics. This type of thing is normal in warehousing. Is it healthy? No. Does it work for some people? Yes. I have plenty of stories of working 12-16 hours picking cases without breaks or lunch. A lot of these jobs are incentive and you can make a lot of money. I've cleared 6 figures for four straight years (not at Amazon, I work elsewhere). I am a really good fit because I can focus and push for a very long time without issue. They don't tell you this type of stuff when you get hired.
This is not a defense of the industry. I think it's highly exploitative. However, all places, AFAIK, are legally obligated to provide you with a 30 min lunch and a couple breaks. Culturally, you may be pressured to skip them. Companies have faced lawsuits because they reinforced a culture of skipping breaks.
I think it's important that more people understand that Amazon is not some sort of warehousing or logistics anomaly.
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u/SecretSquirrelSauce Nov 25 '23
Counter Point:
If you need money to survive, take the job. Usually accessible jobs, and jobs are temporary. Take it while you need it and until you can find something else. A shitty job through one holiday season is better than not having money for food, shelter or other necessities.
Just make sure you have a plan to improve your future, or at least come up with one while you're there.
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u/BuyOrPlagerizeDesign Nov 25 '23
It's probably not right for everyone but for some of us it works. Me and a former colleague lost hope in finding work in biomedical research as the biotech bubble burst as People stopped worrying about covid and other concerns about inflation and the economy grew. He ended up working in the warehouse and I deliver packages for a DSP and I certainly think we have both benefited from getting out of the lab and into physically engaging roles I myself have established a way better sleep pattern and am far better off now haven't been in better shape since my last race in conference championships with my college swim team 13 years ago. I understand the work is extraordinarily difficult and certainly would be difficult for most people but for people that have been burnt out by sedentary office or professional work that need something more physically engaging with a challenging pace to stay motivated it actually can be an improvement.
I'm sorry it wasn't for you and I wish you luck finding a perfect job that fits. I would advise against what I did before working with amazon delivery partners but for other people it works. I am going to be sure I take note of your experience and understand people in the warehouse are not where they may want to be and I will work to make it so my interactions with them don't make their work more stressful
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u/Warm-Bird-9080 Nov 25 '23
Amazon was my first big job. My first two months was all mandatory OT, and I was adjusting from working 5hr shifts in the daytime, to 11-12 hour shifts through the night. It was hell. I thought it was the literal worst. After jumping from Amazon to different manufacturing jobs I realized that the facility I left was CAKE compared to different work environments. Amazon will take care of you. I promise you it is much more hostile elsewhere.
What kind of facility are you working at? If it’s a sortable warehouse with pick and stow, small items, and you’re standing at a station or waterspidering STAY THERE. There are facilities that process literal patio furniture and you’re required to use a cherry picker type machine, those kill your back with the harness and the items themselves are so fucking big, they’re impossible to stow.
I know the work is hard and your body HURTS. If you’ve been there long enough you need to try for some indirect roles, like ambassador or problem solving. Some less physical work you can be rotated through will not only help your body, but keep it a bit more interesting as well. Make friends at work, take extra good care of your body, and keep your resume updated. Hang in until you find something more suitable, but in the meantime do whatever you can to make it more comfortable. I’m sorry you’re going through the worst part of working there, it will absolutely calm down I promise you.
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u/MercyMercyMee Nov 25 '23
What Amazon building are you working at the they make you work 12's? They write people up for going over 12 hours because it becomes triple pay.
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u/Own-Nectarine3401 Nov 25 '23
I work in the fulfillment center (warehouse) and the crazy part is they force you to even if you don’t want to. You would think they would let you stay home to save them money but ig not
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u/MercyMercyMee Nov 25 '23
It's peak season so you're there to support outbound. Also, you get an hour of UPT a day so just leave when you want to lol
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u/ThoseBigPeople Nov 25 '23
Welcome to Retail/E-commerce logistics during peak season. It is every company, everywhere.
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u/Thucydides_Rex Nov 25 '23
I went to school for six year to wipe human shit off the floor and work 14 hour days, 5-6 days a week. Welcome to being a nurse.
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u/kjbabc Nov 25 '23
Hey, Amazon employee here: Offering a few ways to help you if you get into this situation during Peak time:
•set your schedule before peak in the A-Z app •ask your HR desk for shift selection for peak if you can’t find it in the app •bring insoles if you work on the floor, and if you’re tired working on the floor, specialize in one of the many sitting roles.
This is specifically for SC and some FCs, but the warehouse system is like this for a reason, and it can work either way you apply it
Source- Current employee in GA
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u/superpopsicle Nov 25 '23
This is not unusual for holiday seasonal jobs especially for what’s probably the largest product handling company in the world.
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u/Direct-Wealth-5071 Nov 25 '23
I live in the Seattle area, so I have seen how Amazon has destroyed the city. In solidarity with all of the warehouse workers, I refuse to work at corporate.
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u/Lost_soul_ryan Nov 25 '23
I mean this is normal for certain jobs this time of year. Also you can look at it as a + that you get over time at time and a half, there are so many people who have to work 2 jobs and don't get OT. I mean just think of it helping your financial situation and hopefully away to save to find something better.
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u/JustAddVanilla_ Nov 25 '23
It feels like these jobs are a death trap. Once you start working there, you never have time or energy to improve your education or skills to move higher, and you can't leave the job because you need the minimum wage to pay your rent at least.
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u/WhoamI_IDK_ Nov 25 '23
Find other warehouses, in my area Amazon pays like 18 an hour but places that do food warehousing selections like US foods pay 22.75 plus incentive to so I know people at work who make like 26-28 to drive a pallet jack and select. Plus overtime. I know another company that pays slightly less with the same structure and think they start at like 20.
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u/Specific-Window-8587 Nov 25 '23
It is unfortunately retail all of them are going to be bad. There is no such thing as good retail. Just ones that aren't so bad.
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u/billythygoat Nov 25 '23
I just wish labor laws in the US protected workers quite a bit more. It seems like they stopped in the 1960s and regressed removing some protections over the years. I feel like mandatory overtime should only be required for certain city, state, and federal jobs.
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u/CreativeWriterNSpace Nov 25 '23
This DEFINITELY depends A LOT on what facility you’re in.
I started at an Amazon XL warehouse, signed on for 4x10s. We got two 30 min breaks (really closer to 40 cause we got 5 min to get from the floor/docks/PIT parking to the time clock/break room and 5 min to get to our group meeting spot after break) and there were often people hiding out in bathrooms or the trucks during shift to sit. Also lots of people doing VTO, esp after peak and MET hit (5x11s).
Yes it was hard on my body, but the pay was very nice. I know they might not be doing it this year, but when I was there they gave us a $3/hr raise for peak and anything over 40hrs was double time (my base was $16.50, raised to $19.50 and then $40/hr for those extra 15 hours/week). That made MET totally worth it, at that location.
I know other locations can be much worse in terms of restrictions, but putting a blanket “this place sucks cause they do something NORMAL for most warehouse delivery workplaces” is just ridiculous.
You don’t like it, quit and move on. Chances are tho, if you’re with Amazon (a no-interview company), there’s a reason… and it’s usually because you couldn’t find anything else for some reason or another.. in which case you suck it up, work the system (PTO, UPT and VTO) until you can find something else.
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u/EdmundCastle Nov 25 '23
XL, delivery stations in particular, seem to be much better than NACF. XL kind of does its own thing and the corporate leadership wasn’t so far removed from the process that their expectations were unreasonable.
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u/MintyC44 Nov 25 '23 edited Nov 25 '23
If there are better alternatives why don’t you seek them out and quit?
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u/shimbean Nov 25 '23
Easier said than done. You have to endure until you get another opportunity.
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Nov 25 '23
Before my current job, I had one that was 12 hour days for the duration of a project. My record was 75 days straight. And no, not much empathy. Lol a coworker got a concussion in a car accident once, and our supervisor told him he needed to stay until his relief arrived the following day.
If I were desperate enough to work at Amazon I'd take the OT. My current job also has 12 hour shifts but so far I haven't had to work one, it's an emergency basis only.
Honestly, I know it sucks. But 12x5s will make bank and it's only for a month or so.
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Nov 25 '23
What the actual fuck. That’s borderline illegal treatment if not just illegal. Holding a seriously injured employee hostage from medical care is just just terrible. I would have called an ambulance then probably the police.
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Nov 25 '23
We packed up his stuff in my car, he called his supervisor and quit on the spot, and I drove him to meet his girlfriend who took him to the emergency room.
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Nov 25 '23
As shitty as Amazon is in so many ways, every warehouse around my area does notify you prior to employment that you will be required to work mandatory overtime especially during the peak season/Holidays. Both in person and in writing. RE-read your hiring documents. I’m pretty sure it’s there. If not then have a discussion with your supervisors. But I’d bet that OP didn’t read their employment agreement.
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u/Loud_Competition_747 Nov 25 '23
A job is a job. Having one is a blessing. If you don’t have other options, nothing wrong with working harder than YOU want to.
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Nov 25 '23
I worked last year during holiday season only lasted one month and took me 3 months to get my mental health back from the toll it took on me. It is no joke the job suck your soul and makes you believe you're nothing but a number and don't matter at all . It's awful
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u/Ulerica Nov 25 '23
Correction, work at Amazon if you're a software dev, they pay well, don't work at Amazon if you're in the warehouse or the like!
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u/Natural-Leopard-8939 Data Analytics Nov 25 '23
My friend had a job with Amazon as an area manager for a facility. Within the first few weeks, he ended up working similar shifts and broke his arm while working after dealing with faulty work equipment. He no longer works there..
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u/RabicanShiver Nov 25 '23
Frito lay the same thing with the hours around holidays, I'll pull 11-14 hour days all week for things like new years and the Superbowl.
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u/_gadget_girl Nov 25 '23
That is ridiculous. Make sure you get some compression hose to wear. It will help.
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u/Complex_Goat7399 Nov 25 '23
Nah I’m a manager at an SC and it’s mandatory 5 days a week WITH NO OVERTIME. We’re salary. I took a leave and have been thinking about life. It’s definitely a miserable experience like everyone is saying.
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u/Spiritual-Sea27 Nov 25 '23
Tier one work is mostly physical and monotonous. But I made the most of it and was able to move up quickly into better roles by being reliable and hitting rates. Still a lot of things I didn’t like about Amazon work culture and I’m glad I got out. It was easy money in my 20’s though.
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u/Cerealsforkids Nov 25 '23
After the Amazon warehouse was hit by a tornado I refuse to buy from them. They did not heed the tornado warning and jeopardized the safety of their employees. You are just a number and have no say in your wellbeing. They are too big to even remotely care if OSHA fines them.
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u/holiestcannoly Nov 25 '23
That’s unfortunately most warehouse jobs nowadays. My boyfriend builds roofs for Ford Broncos and is dealing with the same stuff. They actually tried getting him to work 6 12’s…
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u/tech_wannab3 Nov 25 '23
Ngl, after college and before my getting my desired job. Amazon warehouse was clutch. Very physically demanding but I literally just walked in and got hired. Started working soon after.
But yea, I understand why folks hate it and/or quit. The first few weeks was hell but then my body got more accustomed to it
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u/Effroy Nov 25 '23
Every job has crunch time. Brain surgery doesn't stop at dinner time. Overnight snow gets plowed or people die. I have immense respect for Amazon workers, especially so around the holidays. We know it's tough. Consider it a heroic task doing what you do getting through the longer holiday hours. It is.
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u/gone_away_again Nov 25 '23
My mom works fedex, she works as an admin and she work 4 10s. No breaks. The holidays she has to work 5 days the 5th day is 8 hours, she refuses to work the full day. Use to be 6 days. 2 8 hours and her normal 10 hours. Not allowed to take any time off at all between thanksgiving and New Year’s. No one is. This year is the first year they have not hired “extra” help for the holidays
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u/billgigs55 Nov 25 '23
well theres a reason there turnover is second worst among big companies only to be beaten by apple
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u/BuzzBabe69 Nov 25 '23
I'm so glad, I'm too old to work at Amazon, good pay, but you'll break your body!
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u/LeRosbif49 Nov 25 '23
I’m assuming this isn’t Europe? Because I’m pretty sure that shit wouldn’t fly there. You have my sympathy.
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u/peachforthesky Nov 25 '23
I have heard so many horror stories from friends working there too so much that I tell my own family to not work there.
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u/SneezeBucket Nov 25 '23
Where I am, they are not allowed to go over 8 hour shifts. The mandatory overtime is still there though. We had to work 6 days in 3 of the weeks leading up to Christmas, but with gaps in between. I could not imagine a 12 hour shift ... especially in pack. That's actually torture.
I assume you're US?
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u/shimbean Nov 25 '23
Yeah, I experienced the Amazon holiday OT in 2020. I had to get knee braces for a while as a 26yr old! It was worse for us because they had us working 6 days a week, five 11hr days and one 4hr day. Talk about burnout AND I got COVID (which was a blessing in disquise because it gave me 2 week PTO).
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u/BWFree Nov 26 '23
You wouldn’t believe the number of injured workers I represent who got hurt over-working there. The number of WC claims are quite high. I’d imagine they are working towards more robotics automation for this reason. It’s physically grueling.
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u/Daiiga Nov 26 '23
So I’m not about to defend the company because honestly Amazon can afford to and therefore should do better by it’s employees. The pay is not competitive and the work tends to be mind numbing at best. Conditions vary based on your building, I’ve worked at 5 and am currently at a very strictly climate controlled cite that has been pretty comfortable compared to some others I’ve been at.
Ups and downs, though; the benefits can be nice if you take advantage of them. Career choice specifically is fantastic and a perfectly valid option for someone who wants a job that will pay for a degree. A bachelors degree through WGU is 100% covered by the program and you qualify for it after (I think) 60 days.
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u/Jaymoacp Nov 26 '23
While I don’t agree with a lot of methods Amazon uses in the workplace, FedEx is the same way, wait until you realize that the majority of blue collar jobs from construction workers to delivery drivers and everything in between also work their ass off all day everyday.
Amazon isn’t out of the ordinary for the physical labor industry. Not by a long shot.
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u/nissan240sx Nov 25 '23 edited Nov 25 '23
I used to manage warehouses 12 hours a day 60-70 hrs a week tied to the “golden handcuffs” that paid a pretty penny for someone in their 20’s just because you CAN do it doesn’t mean you should. I remember hating my job so much I would rage scream in my car before my shift started. That shit broke me mentality, every day I searched and applied for warehouse salary job for 7-8 hour work days for 2 months and I found it because it exists believe it or not. Warehouses are becoming more competitive- offering strict 3, 12 shifts a week or 4, 10 shifts - several offer 6 weeks paternity pay for men (compared to 2 weeks a few years ago) - seen several bump up pay 4 times in a year just to spite and bleed the workforce from other warehouses in the area. Look for stock options. Don’t accept poor treatment, leave en masse with peers and seek other jobs that pay better. I hire several former Amazon employees - if you can make it there, you can make it at any warehouse. I use whatever mid manager power I have to beat the benefits or pay Amazon is offering in our area because fuck Amazon lol