I'm in the process of joining Amazon as a software engineer manager. I don't know how to respond to this article and if to continue the process with them.
Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
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Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#12I've been reading various comments about this around the internet and many people are saying they will stop ordering from Amazon because of it. These white collar workers are highly paid, and not forced to be there. Most of them could easily find another job someplace else (and it sounds like many do). I just can't feel bad for them. If you don't want to work throughout your vacation, go find another job that won't m…
That reasoning could also be applied to anyone who's suffering in an abusive relationship (whether emotional or physical). It would be inappropriate then, just as it's inappropriate here.
In addition, not everything has to be decided solely by where one spends their money. It's entirely possible to put pressure on an organisation through other means.
Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#13"BREAKING: Hugely successful big co has ex employees not fully satisfied, willing to criticize it. It also has current employees who appreciate it, willing to defend it. Will keep you posted."
Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#14> But if you know of any stories like those reported, I want you to escalate to HR. You can also email me directly at jeff@amazon.com. Even if it’s rare or isolated, our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero. I say don't escalate to HR but leave to work at another place. HR is not your advocate, it is not there to help you. You are just a "resource" just like it says in the name. There have been man…
There is book a called Corporate Confidential [1], written by a former HR person. One of most significant ideas there is that HR is (from the perspective of an employee) not your friend, but rather an enemy. They exist to protect the company, not you. Basically, going to HR is a quick way to get fired (for legal reasons, mind you) or kill your career. Whole book is highly depressing, but very useful if you want to tr…
I guess that this is just applicable to Corporate America context and the outlook is not as dire as you portray it for other corporate cultures around the world.
Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#15I've been reading various comments about this around the internet and many people are saying they will stop ordering from Amazon because of it. These white collar workers are highly paid, and not forced to be there. Most of them could easily find another job someplace else (and it sounds like many do). I just can't feel bad for them. If you don't want to work throughout your vacation, go find another job that won't m…
I'm not advocating or rejecting the Amazon boycott, simply here to challenge the way you think: while everything you said is logical you can't simply treat people like trash, it doesn't matter if they are white collar, gold collar or can't-afford-a-collar.
A situation that shares many similarities is: "it is that woman's fault that she does not leave her abusive husband." That is laying blame on the person who was abused (not matter their background) instead of the person dealing out the injustice.
Imagine that Bezos had not disowned this behavior: more and more would follow suit and eventually you'd be hard-pressed to find a place where this isn't the norm. For example: stack ranking had to start somewhere. Now you'll find it at many places and it's no longer as simple as "just go work somewhere else." If you've acquired a lifestyle where you depend on a corporate job with a cushy salary, what are you going to do?
Don't forget that people can (and do) undervalue themselves. Maybe they don't believe that they could find another job: possibly because their manager has completely destroyed their self-worth.
Finally, it's just fucking stupid. It's actually counter-productive. It's been shown over and over again (one example[1]) that the way you get better results out of humans is to treat them humanely and, unbelievably, make them want to work for you instead of work for you out of fear. Practices like this, stack ranking, etc. all originate out of the industrial age when machines were the primary concern - you can't manage humans like machines: they will revolt (consciously or subconsciously).
Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#16I've been reading various comments about this around the internet and many people are saying they will stop ordering from Amazon because of it. These white collar workers are highly paid, and not forced to be there. Most of them could easily find another job someplace else (and it sounds like many do). I just can't feel bad for them. If you don't want to work throughout your vacation, go find another job that won't m…
Some people signed the contract thinking it's a decent place to work but found out later it's not. They received relocation bonus (which they have to return if they leave within 2 years), left their previous job, are now in a country where there visa depends on being employed by Amazon so things are not as black and white as you would like to represent them and they just can't leave as easily as some. It's not slavery, but it's not far from indentured servitude.
P.S. I'm not in that situation but have a few colleagues who are, and going back to Ukraine for them is not an option.
Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#17I've been reading various comments about this around the internet and many people are saying they will stop ordering from Amazon because of it. These white collar workers are highly paid, and not forced to be there. Most of them could easily find another job someplace else (and it sounds like many do). I just can't feel bad for them. If you don't want to work throughout your vacation, go find another job that won't m…
Unless you're on a visa and having a job is a requirement of keeping said visa.
or if you work in one of the warehouses
Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#18For years I've had an academic interest in alternative religions. (As an atheist, I find them endlessly fascinating, as it lets you see more of how the dominant religions came to be.) One of those most interesting things I've come across related to that was the ABCDEF:
http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html
It was put together decades ago by a pagan who wanted to help people see the difference between people who were up to something new and actually dangerous cults.
The NYT article made me haul it out again and do some scoring, and then run through and score a number of the tech companies I'm familiar with. It was a very interesting exercise.
Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#19I've been reading various comments about this around the internet and many people are saying they will stop ordering from Amazon because of it. These white collar workers are highly paid, and not forced to be there. Most of them could easily find another job someplace else (and it sounds like many do). I just can't feel bad for them. If you don't want to work throughout your vacation, go find another job that won't m…
It's not just a matter of whether it looks like North Korea or not, it's a matter of what kind of companies you want to see out there. You may approve it or not, and you can respond to it. One way to respond is to stop ordering from Amazon.
Re: Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Won’t Tolerate ‘Callous’ Management Practices
#20I'm in the process of joining Amazon as a software engineer manager. I don't know how to respond to this article and if to continue the process with them.
I have decided to stop the interview process with Amazon as a result of this article. Life is too short to have to deal with working in such a poisonous culture as described. I've had a few people mention how much Amazon sucks, at least in the Bay Area, but I thought maybe it was just a coincidence, but based on the article, it seems like it's their culture.