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Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

reuters.com

171–180 of 399 posts

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#171
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon has nearly a million employees. The gist of your comment is valid, but firing two people (or even two hundred people) out of a million doesn't even come close to meaning that they have an antagonistic relationship with its workforce in general.

Normally tech employers don't fire people for complaining about company policies, and it's almost always news when they do. A general sense of shared cause and cameraderie is part of the way the industry is "supposed" to work, and part of that is a culture of reasonably open discussion of this stuff. But Amazon can't have that now, because the only resolution that they can see here is either victory or complete capit…

You didn't address the comment you're replying to at all.

Normally, tech employers don't have many hundreds of thousands of employees. You'll always be able to find anecdotes to support any narrative you want when you're looking at that big of a workforce.

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#172
post #156

> “We support every employee’s right to criticize their employer’s working conditions,” a spokesperson said, “but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies.” What a strange statement. "We support their right to criticize their working conditions, only actually we don't at all"

Strange is standard these days.

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#173
post #156

> “We support every employee’s right to criticize their employer’s working conditions,” a spokesperson said, “but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies.” What a strange statement. "We support their right to criticize their working conditions, only actually we don't at all"

https://www.whistleblowers.gov/

> You have the right to report if your workplace is unsafe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amazon has to create the appearance that they aren't violating federal law

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#174
post #156

> “We support every employee’s right to criticize their employer’s working conditions,” a spokesperson said, “but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies.” What a strange statement. "We support their right to criticize their working conditions, only actually we don't at all"

[deleted]

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course the powerful can use their powers for evil, we have to criticise them for it.

I don't think discontinuing employment should be categorized as 'evil'. Amazon doesn't owe them a job, and if the seller of labour crossed a line that the buyer doesn't like and that has been clearly spelled out prior to the work beginning, no one should force the buyer to continue buying labour from the seller. That would be closer to evil than the former option.

It seems rather authoritarian to totally shred the relationship over mild dissent. How weak and pathetic is the Amazon leadership that they cannot tolerate criticism?

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#176
post #156

> “We support every employee’s right to criticize their employer’s working conditions,” a spokesperson said, “but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies.” What a strange statement. "We support their right to criticize their working conditions, only actually we don't at all"

Standard corporate Newspeak. Make knowing exactly what you "can" say such a landmine ridden pursuit you stay silent, while avoiding contradiction of federal law.

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WP reported Amazon stated they violated company policies. That is probably true too ( talking to media or some such ). https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/13/amazon-...

[flagged]

I also tire of paywalled links, as they stratify the community by ease of access. In case this helps anyone, Brave is able to view the article just by toggling 'block scripts'

Edit: Presumably Firefox with a script blocking add-on would also work.

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#178
post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making requests to improve important safety practices is considered "trash talking"? Such a harsh stance for those working at warehouse during a pandemic from someone probably working from home...

Mostly I was attempting to comment on the fact that I'm not surprised when anyone working at any company gets fired for publicly criticizing the company. If I work for you, I'd expect to get fired for criticizing you in public. As another user "segmondy" pointed out... "Don't bite the hand that feeds you. If you must talk against your employer in public, better go anonymous, if you have the courage to reveal your rea…

> Don't bite the hand that feeds you

Warehouse workers are literally feeding America right now, so I agree with that part.

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#179
post #23

I wonder what their recruiting team thinks about these moves by the company. I know I will not work for Amazon seeing how the manage dissent at the company and I’m sure there are many other people who feel the same.

Not to worry, they'll simply say they have a "talent shortage" and ask the government to help supply them with workers whose situations are so desperate they won't think about the company's business practices. (Note, this is not actually a jab at Amazon in particular.)

I know this is an attack on H1bs. Many H1Bs have multiple offers from FAANGS at market rate. Whatever woe you have in your life, please stop blaming immigrants for it.

Re: Amazon fires two UX designers critical of warehouse working conditions

#180

It will never cease to amaze me that people (outside the media, politics, etc.) use their real name to post controversial things on social media, especially about their own employer.

I admire them. They're braver than me.

Whether you agree with their stance or not, I think it's admirable that they stand up for others who are presumably lower on the employment pole, at the risk of their own jobs, especially given the current economic situation.

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