CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL- With the amount of technological advancements available in today’s world, tasks such as having your groceries delivered straight to your door, purchasing a new item for your room which you’ve been dying to have, or streaming the latest episode of your favorite show can be done with quite literally, just the push of a button. The industry of online shopping has grown exponentially over the past couple of years. However, only one company seems to constantly set itself apart from the rest, Amazon. 

Arguably one of the biggest tech giants of the twenty first century, Amazon prides itself on its speed and efficiency. However, this productivity comes at a price. What many don’t know is the truth behind Amazon’s production.

 Amazon employees are often forced to endure heavy workloads, including long work hours, and borderline dangerous working conditions.  The workers of this supercompany have reported awful working conditions which have even majorly injured several employees. Amazon’s treatment of employees and workers in their company is horrible, and is leading to the overall deterioration of health and wellbeing of its workers, and must come to an end.

Amazon workers often face excessively lengthy working hours, which combined with the other aspects of Amazon’s work areas, can be downright brutal and draining. However tiring the hour may be, Amazon employees are expected to put up with this without complaint.

“[We’d] be on [our] feet for 12-hour shifts, walking a total of 15 to 20 miles through a 25-acre warehouse — as long as seven New York blocks — looking for merchandise to fulfill online orders,” Emily Guendelsberger, an ex-Amazon employee, claims.

In addition to this, Amazon workers have to follow extremely strict rules and regulations, or risk getting fired. According to Guendelsberger, the employees are put under constant surveillance, including tracking their bathroom breaks, and making employees carry scan guns which have GPS tracking with them everywhere. Failure to comply with these strict regulations is grounds for termination, meaning that employees could be fired if they do not act in accordance with these rules.

Perhaps the most alarming effect of these brutal working conditions are the injuries that the employees could face. Several working employees at Amazon have reported major injuries. According to CBS, workers at Amazon facilities are twice as likely to be injured on the job as compared to other workers in the warehousing industry. There have even been some cases of employees being crushed by heavy machinery, such as forklifts, resulting in death. Some past employees even state being punished for the injuries that they acquired due to the job. Sadly, many Amazon employees do not have any other option than to endure these health risks, as they need the job to survive.

While it may be true that companies value workers who are timely and efficient, Amazon’s treatment of employees goes beyond that. The rigorous working conditions are causing health risks to several employees, which should not come so frequently with a warehouse job. Amazon can still make sure their workers are quick and efficient without causing health risks.

Some might also say that the employees should simply quit if they do not like the working conditions. However, as tiring as it may be, for many workers, the job they have at Amazon is their only source of income. It is not logical or humane to force thousands of workers to either quit and lose their jobs, or to stay and endure brutal working conditions present in the company.

Although companies like Amazon do need efficient employees and it may seem like there are other solutions to this problem, such as the workers quitting, the only logical and humane thing to do is for Amazon to work towards improving their working conditions. This will ultimately lead to the wellbeing and betterment of their workers as well, which will make them and the work that they do more valuable to the company overall. Amazon needs to be held accountable for their actions and the work environment that they are providing for their workers. This mistreatment cannot go ignored any longer and must finally come to an end.