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I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

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Re: I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

#31

Post by stank345 »

marknutter wrote: post #20
js8 wrote: post #8

I think it's great articles like that get posted here - it's a window to employment conditions that techies would never accept. It's a good reminder of privilege.

> it's a window to employment conditions that techies would never accept. I absolutely would accept those employment conditions if I didn't have any other options and needed to make money to survive. I would also spend my free time learning a skill so I could get a better job at some point in the future. > It's a good reminder of privilege. It's not a matter of privilege, it's a matter of ability. In tech more than a…

> I would also spend my free time learning a skill so I could get a better job at some point in the future.

Depending on your situation, free time that you can actually use to learn a skill -- after you've commuted home, fed yourself, done household chores, assuming you aren't too exhausted to just pass out or do something mindless -- may also be a luxury you don't have.

Re: I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

#32

Post by rdtsc »

CaptSpify wrote: post #29
rdtsc wrote: post #24

My nephew worked for Amazon in Kentucky and during a snowstorm they refused to let him stay home. He didn't feel it was safe to drive (and it wasn't). They told him he is fired. Someone even called to apologize later, but he already found work some other place. On the "good" part of Amazon at AWS, I had a laughably terrible hiring experience (I know I've told my story multiple times, sorry). They forgot to call me ba…

> However, I like them as a amazon.com customer. I guess to make things awesome on the outside, those on the inside have to suffer... I've never understood this logic. Amazon is making a ton of money (rightly so, imo), they could afford to trim down quite a bit. Why should those on the inside be forced to suffer?

I am just saying what the popular explanation for this is.

Amazon's own official explanation is probably something along the lines of "frugality" (hey isn't that a leadership principle..., see I learned something from the interview after all!)

Re: I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

#33

Post by ra1n85 »

marknutter wrote: post #20
js8 wrote: post #8

I think it's great articles like that get posted here - it's a window to employment conditions that techies would never accept. It's a good reminder of privilege.

> it's a window to employment conditions that techies would never accept. I absolutely would accept those employment conditions if I didn't have any other options and needed to make money to survive. I would also spend my free time learning a skill so I could get a better job at some point in the future. > It's a good reminder of privilege. It's not a matter of privilege, it's a matter of ability. In tech more than a…

I think you'll observe an impedance mismatch with this crowd and your thoughts on having control over one's fate. Desire and ambition don't seem to have the same appeal as being a victim of circumstances (in the first world, no less).

Re: I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

#34

Post by geofft »

ra1n85 wrote: post #25
js8 wrote: post #8

I think it's great articles like that get posted here - it's a window to employment conditions that techies would never accept. It's a good reminder of privilege.

>It's a good reminder of privilege. En vogue Orwellian group think for simple minds. Implying that some have undeserved fortune is reprehensible with this complete disregard for context.

Why stop at implying that some have undeserved fortune? Obviously plenty of people do. A truly meritocratic society would not let the personal circumstances of your biological parents affect (either positively or negatively) your life status, whether by moving to a more expensive part of town with better grade schools, encouraging you to stay in school and helping you with your homework, paying for college, immigrating to a more prosperous country, having money you can borrow when starting your career, etc.

Re: I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

#36

Post by CaptSpify »

rdlecler1 wrote: post #22
kbart wrote: post #2

"My name is spelt wrong on my badge, mate," I told him "Oh, that's fine, nobody cares about your name here anyway; we just need your barcode – that's all." Sounds like something written by G. Orwell.. Still better than sweatshops in China or 3rd world countries I guess.

Oddly enough, While flying back from Shanghai in 2006, the Caucasian woman next to me had a son that worked on the line in one of their sweatshops and had done it for over a year. They were from a prettywealthy family that produced things in China and the son decided he wanted to start at the very bottom. She said he insisted on sleeping in the dorms, would not take a special AC unit offered to him, ate with the rest…

It's easy when you have a fall-back plan though. Obviously I know nothing about him or their family, but I'm guessing he could just quit, and rely on their resources while he looked for a new job.

A lot of people don't have that option

Re: I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

#38

Post by CaptSpify »

Practicality wrote: post #37

When this "job" is replaced by robots, everyone will be better for it. Of course, these people will need to be provided for, and there are several solutions to discuss, but this job screams for automation.

I have no idea what the people in the warehouse do, so forgive my ignorance, but wouldn't this be a prime spot to test out drones?

I'm guessing if you are in an enclosed area, the air-space rules that Amazon keeps fighting don't apply?

Re: I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

#39

Post by ikeboy »

CaptSpify wrote: post #29
rdtsc wrote: post #24

My nephew worked for Amazon in Kentucky and during a snowstorm they refused to let him stay home. He didn't feel it was safe to drive (and it wasn't). They told him he is fired. Someone even called to apologize later, but he already found work some other place. On the "good" part of Amazon at AWS, I had a laughably terrible hiring experience (I know I've told my story multiple times, sorry). They forgot to call me ba…

> However, I like them as a amazon.com customer. I guess to make things awesome on the outside, those on the inside have to suffer... I've never understood this logic. Amazon is making a ton of money (rightly so, imo), they could afford to trim down quite a bit. Why should those on the inside be forced to suffer?

Their profit margins are tiny. Look up earnings for recent quarters.

Re: I worked at Amazon to see if anything's changed

#40

Post by ikeboy »

CaptSpify wrote: post #38
Practicality wrote: post #37

When this "job" is replaced by robots, everyone will be better for it. Of course, these people will need to be provided for, and there are several solutions to discuss, but this job screams for automation.

I have no idea what the people in the warehouse do, so forgive my ignorance, but wouldn't this be a prime spot to test out drones? I'm guessing if you are in an enclosed area, the air-space rules that Amazon keeps fighting don't apply?

http://time.com/3605924/amazon-robots/
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