Why Working For Amazon Was An Alienating Experience
I looked up from the phone and went over to an office to see if I could get some assistance on how to log into one of the trainings, on diversity of all things, since my provided login credentials were getting an error. A man folding boxes in the office was swiping on his own assigned work phone.
The phones are used for everything, and supervisors message staff members with instructions daily, the man told me. All employees grab one at the beginning of a shift and leave it in the cabinet afterward. I asked if he had any idea how to fix my glitching device and he said he didn t. I asked if a supervisor was in, but he said no. He shrugged his shoulders when I followed up wondering when the last time a supervisor made it to the office.
Orientation at Amazon was a glimpse into working at a place where staff is treated like robots. I would have left that day with little knowledge of how to effectively complete my work, but luckily a guy my age showed me and it took all but 15 minutes. It is, of course, not rocket science to learn how to shop and pack orders. But automation made the whole experience more difficult, eliminating invaluable human interaction.
Sounds like a nightmare. Perhaps better than being unemployed, at least without UBI.