Amazon tells all employees to stay home amid coronavirus fears

hawki · Mar 12, 2020

"Amazon is telling all of its employees globally to stay home through the month of March, as the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads...."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/12/amazon-tells-all-employees-to-stay-home-amid-coronavirus-fears.html

hawki · Mar 12, 2020

hawki said: ↑

"Amazon is telling all of its employees globally to stay home through the month of March, as the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads...."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/12/amazon-tells-all-employees-to-stay-home-amid-coronavirus-fears.html
Click to expand...

"...The directive applies to all employees whose work requires them to be in an office, store, fulfillment center or in vehicles making deliveries...."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/12/amazon-tells-all-employees-to-stay-home-amid-coronavirus-fears.html

hawki · Mar 12, 2020

hawki said: ↑

"Amazon is telling all of its employees globally to stay home through the month of March, as the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads...."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/12/amazon-tells-all-employees-to-stay-home-amid-coronavirus-fears.html
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CNBC is currently the sole source for this story.

I would think that a story as huge as this would be widely reported, so more than a grain of salt seems appropriate until further confirmation.

hawki · Mar 12, 2020

As suspected, the CNBC story goes too far.

From Reuters:

"Amazon tells staff globally to work from home if possible

March 12 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc on Thursday said it was recommending that employees globally work from home this month if they are able to do so, while necessary on-site staff such as warehouse workers would get up to two weeks' pay if quarantined because of the coronavirus."

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-tells-staff-globally-home-212908533.html

guest · Mar 26, 2020

Amazon warehouse workers are outraged after a coworker tested positive for COVID-19 and they weren’t notified
Workers often hear of them through rumors
March 26, 2020
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/26/...orkers-coronavirus-covid-19-outraged-informed

Bobbi Johnson, a worker at an Amazon warehouse south of Detroit, first saw the rumors on Facebook over the weekend.
But it wasn’t until Tuesday, when Johnson and others confronted someone from human resources in the break room, that they received confirmation that someone at the facility had tested positive for COVID-19.

Six workers at the sortation center DTW5 say they only learned of the case from coworkers or after McIntosh-Butler, frustrated with the lack of transparency, tipped off Local Four News, which received confirmation from Amazon Tuesday. In the information vacuum, they are left wondering whether they’ve been exposed and whether it’s safe to continue working.

“Here I am, a week after being exposed to it, and I’ve already been to work three other times, three other days breathing on people,” McIntosh-Butler says. “This is how this thing is getting out of control right now.”
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itman · Mar 26, 2020

mood said: ↑

Amazon warehouse workers are outraged after a coworker tested positive for COVID-19 and they weren’t notified
Click to expand...

The reality of the current situation is this can happen anywhere to anyone who is not living in isolation and leaves that isolated environment. So you have presently two choices. Stay in that isolated environment till this thing goes away. Or do what the medical experts recommend and keep your distance from other people when outside of that isolated environment.

However, you still have to eat which means that someone will have to deliver supplies to your house. The virus could be on whatever was delivered to you. No one knows 100% how long the virus lives on materials, prepared foods, you name it. So spray down everything with bleach solution and nuke your prepared food in a microwave oven.

Bottom line - paranoia is as dangerous as this virus. Do the common sense and recommended precautions and go on living your life.

guest · Mar 27, 2020

Amazon defends its work to keep employees safe during coronavirus crisis
The company responds to four US senators, who called on Amazon to do more to help its workers
March 27, 2020
https://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-defends-its-work-to-keep-employees-safe-during-coronavirus-crisis/

Amazon this week strongly defended its work to protect its employees and delivery drivers, following harsh criticism about some of its workers getting sick from the coronavirus.

Four US senators wrote a letter to CEO Jeff Bezos last week, calling on Amazon to respond to a series of questions about how it's keeping its workers safe. In the company's response back, which was provided by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker's office on Friday, Amazon detailed its many efforts to help its employees during the health crisis.

"Any accusations that we are not properly protecting our employees are simply unfounded," Brian Huseman, Amazon's vice president of public policy, wrote. "Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items that they need in this crisis."
[...] the senator was disappointed that Amazon still refuses to temporarily shut down warehouses where workers have tested positive for coronavirus.
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hawki · Mar 27, 2020

"Instacart’s Gig Workers Are Planning a Massive, Nationwide Strike

Instacart shoppers are planning a nationwide mass revolt over the grocery delivery app's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, workers say they will refuse to accept orders until Instacart provides hazard pay of an additional $5 an order, free safety gear (hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and soap) to workers, and expands its paid sick leave to include workers with pre-existing conditions who have been advised by their doctors not to work at this time. Workers say the strike will last until Instacart agrees to these terms..."

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/...kers-are-planning-a-massive-nationwide-strike

guest · Mar 30, 2020

"Instacart’s Gig Workers Are Planning a Massive, Nationwide Strike
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Instacart’s “Response” is a Sick Joke — The Strike is Still On
March 29, 2020
https://medium.com/@GigWorkersColle...sick-joke-the-strike-is-still-on-2aa4f5e4e726

Today, Instacart responded to Shoppers’ demands by saying a week from now they will provide hand sanitizer and set the default in-app tip amount to whatever a customer had previously tipped. Aside from simply not being enough, this is insulting for a number of reasons.
We had been asking for hand sanitizer for many, many weeks. But apparently the company is capable of sourcing some with 2 days of work? [...]

It goes to show that corporate greed is an issue that impacts us all, whether one is a Shopper directly being affected, or not.
The strike is still on. Stay safe, everyone.
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hawki · Mar 30, 2020

"Whole Foods Employees Are Staging a Nationwide 'Sick-Out'

Workers say they will strike Tuesday because the Amazon subsidiary has failed to prioritize their safety during a period of record sales.

Whole Foods employees are planning to strike on Tuesday to protest the lack of protections offered to workers during the coronavirus pandemic—the first national collective action led by workers at the company since it was founded in 1980..."

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5dmeka/whole-foods-employees-are-staging-a-nationwide-sick-out

hawki · Mar 30, 2020

"Amazon to run daily temperature checks for workers after ‘17 locations reported coronavirus outbreaks’..."

Reuters reported on Saturday that it has spread to at least 17 warehouses in the US...

The retail giant will begin screening at sites in Seattle and New York City...it intends to expand daily temperature screenings to other sites as soon as possible..."

https://www.the-sun.com/news/608338/amazon-temperature-checks-coronavirus/

guest · Mar 31, 2020

The Instacart strike, explained
Why workers at Instacart, Whole Foods, and Amazon are walking off the job in protest
March 30, 2020
https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/3...ing-conditions-amazon-whole-foods-gig-economy

Some workers for Instacart, one of the most popular US grocery delivery apps, went on strike Monday, demanding better pay and health protections as they risk exposing themselves to the coronavirus to deliver essentials to people on lockdown.

But many of them say they feel increasingly unsafe doing their jobs because the companies they work for are not providing basic support, like giving them the time and supplies to wash their hands between shifts.
Instacart shoppers’ complaints echo those of other workers: Around 50 Amazon workers at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, reportedly walked off the job on Monday in protest of the company’s decision to keep the facility open despite one of their colleagues being diagnosed with Covid-19 [...]
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Though we don’t have an exact number of strikers, and Instacart says the protest hasn’t reduced customer orders, these actions are effective in a different way: They’re drawing the attention of the public, and politicians, to the health risks that workers are taking to keep US supply chains running during a public health crisis.
Why exactly are workers striking?
Instacart strikers want the company to take immediate action to reduce their risk of coronavirus exposure.
Shoppers — whose work requires them to interact with grocery store clerks, customers, and other shoppers — are concerned about catching and spreading Covid-19. [...]
What will happen next
In the meantime, their action, especially in light of concurrent protests from workers at Amazon and other companies, is emphasizing more starkly than ever how the gig economy puts its workers in a precarious place, even as more people rely on their services.
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ABaird3 · Mar 31, 2020

Firing of Amazon Strike Leader Draws State and City Scrutiny

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-led-strike-over-virus-says-company-fired-him

A_mouse · Apr 1, 2020

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...-firing-was-unrelated-to-organizing-activity/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...grows-during-coronavirus-crisis-idUSKBN21H3AV
https://www.rt.com/usa/484606-whole-foods-strike-instacart-amazon/
https://www.rt.com/usa/484631-amazone-covid-19-sick-out-strike/

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...at-19-of-amazons-u-s-warehouses-idUSKBN21I0FA

guest · Apr 2, 2020

Leaked Amazon Memo Details Plan to Smear Fired Warehouse Organizer: ‘He’s Not Smart or Articulate’
April 2, 2020
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/...rehouse-organizer-hes-not-smart-or-articulate

Leaked notes from an internal meeting of Amazon leadership obtained by VICE News reveal company executives discussed a plan to smear fired warehouse employee Christian Smalls, calling him “not smart or articulate” as part of a PR strategy to make him “the face of the entire union/organizing movement.”

“Make him the most interesting part of the story, and if possible make him the face of the entire union/organizing movement.”
They discussed encouraging Amazon executives to use Smalls to discredit the wider labor movement at Amazon.
In a statement to VICE News, Zapolsky said his “comments were personal and emotional.”

“I was frustrated and upset that an Amazon employee would endanger the health and safety of other Amazonians by repeatedly returning to the premises after having been warned to quarantine himself after exposure to virus Covid-19,” he said. “I let my emotions draft my words and get the better of me.”
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Amazon executives privately insulted a warehouse worker, then attacked him on Twitter

After firing Chris Smalls, who helped organize a warehouse worker strike at Amazon’s Staten Island, New York facility over novel coronavirus safety, Amazon executives publicly attacked him on Twitter. Now we might know why.
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xxJackxx · Apr 2, 2020

New York is an "at will" state. I'm surprised we are even hearing about it.

imdb · Apr 2, 2020

xxJackxx said: ↑

New York is an "at will" state. I'm surprised we are even hearing about it.
Click to expand...

that's a good point.

bellgamin · Apr 2, 2020

I give little credence to The Verge's article, linked by @mood in post #15, because it prominently quotes political candidates & is overly biased toward the views of those candidates.

guest · Apr 3, 2020

Amazon says all warehouse workers will have face masks by next week
April 2, 2020
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-face-masks-warehouse-workers-next-week/

Amazon says it will provide face masks to all its warehouse workers globally by early next week and broaden its use of temperature checks as it tries to slow the spread of coronavirus amid its vast logistics workforce.

The announcement comes 10 days after CEO Jeff Bezos acknowledged the company was having trouble filling orders for masks amid a widespread shortage of protective equipment.

"The millions of masks we ordered weeks ago are now arriving, and we're distributing them to our teams as quickly as possible. Masks will be available as soon as today in some locations and in all locations by early next week," Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, said on a company blog on Thursday.
The e-commerce giant is also expanding its use of temperature checks. Starting early next week, everyone showing up for work at a warehouse or at a Whole Foods store will be checked, and people with a fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be sent home.
Click to expand...

guest · Apr 3, 2020

Instacart to provide masks, thermometers for employees
April 2, 2020
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money...-offer-workers-masks-fever-checks/5116438002/

Grocery delivery service Instacart said Thursday that it will provide face masks, thermometers and hand sanitizer to its full-service shoppers in the wake of worker demands that they get better protections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instacart shoppers can order the free health and safety kits starting next week through a special portal created for them, the company said. Instacart will also pass out face masks to its employees at stores where it has on-site operations.

"Our teams are working quickly to introduce new services and features to ensure our shopper community is supported as this situation unfolds,” Nilam Ganenthiran, president of Instacart said in a statement.
Ganenthiran said the company had "been working around the clock over the last few weeks to proactively secure personal protective equipment.''
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Instacart: Distributing Health & Safety Kits for Shoppers

guest · Apr 9, 2020

Jeff Bezos makes surprise visit to Amazon warehouse and Whole Foods store amid worker safety concerns
Bezos can be seen walking through the facilities while donning a face mask and thanking employees
April 9, 2020
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/09/bez...e-whole-foods-amid-worker-safety-concern.html

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Wednesday made a surprise visit to an Amazon fulfillment center and a Whole Foods store as workers have called on the company to better protect them against the coronavirus.

The visit comes as Bezos and Amazon have faced criticism from warehouse workers, Whole Foods employees, union officials and legislators about a lack of protective measures for employees who continue to work amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Bezos is shown getting his temperature checked as he enters the fulfillment center, then chatting with warehouse workers as he walks through the facility. He also tours a Whole Foods location where he thanked employees throughout the store, joking that he couldn’t shake their hand.

Bezos has maintained a relatively low profile amid the heightened criticism.
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guest · Apr 14, 2020

Amazon fires two tech workers who criticized warehouse conditions
April 14, 2020
https://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-fires-two-tech-workers-who-criticized-warehouse-conditions/

Amazon has fired two tech workers after they spoke out publicly against warehouse conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. User experience designers Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, both active members of the advocacy group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, had reportedly offered match donations up to $500 for warehouse workers, citing insufficient protections.

The company confirmed the firings in a statement emailed to CNET.

"We support every employee's right to criticize their employer's working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies," an Amazon spokesperson said. "We terminated these employees for repeatedly violating internal policies.
The Washington Post, a paper owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, on Tuesday reported on the two tech workers' terminations.
Click to expand...

These firings come as Amazon's leadership struggles to get a handle on a series of simultaneous crises during the coronavirus pandemic, as the company tries to fulfill a surge in customer orders, maintain clean warehouses and respond to increasingly vocal workers complaining about their facilities' conditions.
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hawki · Apr 14, 2020

mood said: ↑

Amazon fires two tech workers who criticized warehouse conditions
April 14, 2020
https://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-fires-two-tech-workers-who-criticized-warehouse-conditions/
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First Amazon Warehouse Worker Dies of Coronavirus

Just hours after Amazon reportedly fired more warehouse workers for speaking up about the purportedly unsafe working conditions in its 'fulfillment centers', a spokesperson for the company just confirmed that the first warehouse employee has died of COVID-19.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/492807-first-amazon-warehouse-worker-dies-of-coronavirus

guest · Apr 18, 2020

Exclusive: Amazon deploys thermal cameras at warehouses to scan for fevers faster
The company says the cameras will create a “more streamlined experience”
April 18, 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ouses-to-scan-for-fevers-faster-idUSKBN2200HT

Amazon.com Inc has started to use thermal cameras at its warehouses to speed up screening for feverish workers who could be infected with the coronavirus, employees told Reuters.

The cameras in effect measure how much heat people emit relative to their surroundings. They require less time and contact than forehead thermometers, earlier adopted by Amazon, the workers said.
The use of cameras, previously unreported, shows how America’s second-biggest corporate employer is exploring methods to contain the virus’ spread without shuttering warehouses essential to its operation.

Thermal cameras will also replace thermometers at worker entrances to many of Amazon’s Whole Foods stores, according to a recent staff note seen by Reuters and previously reported by Business Insider.
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guest · Apr 19, 2020

Many Instacart shoppers reportedly still waiting on safety kits the company promised
Instacart said April 2nd it would provide masks, hand sanitizer, and thermometers
April 18, 2020
https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/18/21226481/instacart-shoppers-safety-kits-coronavirus-masks

Some workers for grocery delivery platform Instacart are still waiting on the safety kits the company promised two weeks ago, according to a new report in Wired. And, according to shoppers Wired spoke with, the process to receive the kits was confusing and cumbersome.

An Instacart spokesperson said in a statement emailed to The Verge on Saturday that the company was “singularly focused on the health and safety of our shopper community,” and was working with health officials to take necessary precautions.

“We began shipping these items over the last two weeks and are moving quickly to get them in the hands of Instacart shoppers.”
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