By David Nemeth
Prior to 2004, Google brought forth the idea of "don't be evil". Some held hope that this would come true, but alas, it did not. Facebook is the easy target for evilness. If they had access to your soul, Zuckerberg would sell it in a cyborg heartbeat. In fact, some of you have left the time suck that is Facebook and moved on, all while turning a blind eye to Amazon.
Most of us look the other way when it comes to Amazon. I know I do. Hell, over at Unlawful Acts, I have purchase links to Amazon. I'm a Prime subscriber and I even subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. And that's something I need to address, something I think we all need to address.
But let's forget about Facebook knowing your every move for one second and look hard at what Amazon is doing to its warehouse workers.
Timed toilet breaks, impossible targets and exhausting, “intolerable” working conditions are frequent complaints. Staff have been paid less than the living wage, and it even emerged drivers had faced fines for “early” deliveries. (The Daily Mirror)Even when Amazon gives raises, its workers fume.
But in Amazon warehouses across the country, many longtime workers are fuming that — based on the information they have received so far — they may end up making thousands of dollars less a year.
Yes, Amazon is increasing wages, which will benefit most employees. But it will no longer give out new stock grants and monthly bonuses. Some workers believe that means their total compensation will shrink.Hell, even the white collar workers have got it bad.
At Amazon, workers are encouraged to tear apart one another’s ideas in meetings, toil long and late (emails arrive past midnight, followed by text messages asking why they were not answered), and held to standards that the company boasts are “unreasonably high.” The internal phone directory instructs colleagues on how to send secret feedback to one another’s bosses. Employees say it is frequently used to sabotage others. (The tool offers sample texts, including this: “I felt concerned about his inflexibility and openly complaining about minor tasks.”)So while you think it's great that you left Facebook 'cause you need to protect your privacy––that you're making a stand against the man––I ain't too fond that you're out there shilling for Amazon reviews to try and beat that algorithm. Fuck the guy standing 12-hours a day at the printing press shipping your $17.99 print-on-demand book out. Am I right? But at least you're off Facebook.
Not cool, bro, not cool at all.
