Amazon Is Forcing Its Warehouse Workers into Brutal 'Megacycle' Shifts

Post by ceilingcorner » Thu, Feb 04, 2021, 5:43 PM UTC

sthnblllII wrote: post #12

_Understated_ wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From September 2020 I had to work at an Amazon Warehouse in the UK. Nightshift. Our shifts were 4 x 10.5 with two 30 mins breaks (which you only got paid for one!) It was absolute shite and the toughest job I've ever done but, hey, I kept my roof over my head. It's not nice but unfortunately when you don't have a job and prospects suck then they hold all the cards :(

Thats not an accident. Offshoring and immigration have killed the ability of labor to walk when given terrible choices like this.

Post by dimatura » Thu, Feb 04, 2021, 5:43 PM UTC

ceilingcorner wrote: post #11

American culture is optimized for consumers. When you're a consumer, it's a great thing: customer service, return policies, payment methods, and the entire process of buying stuff is leaps and bounds above somewhere like the European Union. When you're a worker, though, no one particularly cares about you. If a CEO can squeeze more profit out of his workforce by forcing them to work odd hours at the drop of a hat, he…

Post by ceilingcorner » Thu, Feb 04, 2021, 5:44 PM UTC

dimatura wrote: post #33

ceilingcorner wrote: post #11

American culture is optimized for consumers. When you're a consumer, it's a great thing: customer service, return policies, payment methods, and the entire process of buying stuff is leaps and bounds above somewhere like the European Union. When you're a worker, though, no one particularly cares about you. If a CEO can squeeze more profit out of his workforce by forcing them to work odd hours at the drop of a hat, he…

I sympathize with these workers. But if this can be seen an indictment of American culture, then all in all, maybe things aren't so bad. I worked a construction job for a summer in Chile where we had 12-hour shifts, 5 days a week, and every week we alternated between day (8am-8pm) and night (8pm-8am) shifts. And I had it easy, because I lived close to the site - a lot of the other workers had 1+ hour commutes each wa…

Post by asiachick » Thu, Feb 04, 2021, 5:45 PM UTC

dunefox wrote: post #34

random5634 wrote: post #21

I actually left an early job because it didn't offer a 4x10. 4x10 is amazing. Your work days are your work days, but the extra day off is amazing. You can actually go do stuff. My own view - everyone should switch to 4x10 or at least have it as an option. Now I'm working crazy hours so all a dream anyways these days. Note 4x10 shifts are not new in warehousing (or even in mfg).

4x10 is almost as bad as 5x8. 4x8 would be a real improvement.

Post by TuringNYC » Thu, Feb 04, 2021, 5:46 PM UTC

exmadscientist wrote: post #13

Serious question: if these jobs are so awful, and they do sound awful, why are people taking them? I can think of several possible answers, but I haven't the faintest clue which ones are (most) right.