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The Life and Death of an Amazon Warehouse Temp
Article

The Life and Death of an Amazon Warehouse Temp

What the Future of Low-Wage Work Really Looks Like

The Huffington Post, 2015 more...

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Eye Opening
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

In this sad account of a seasonal warehouse worker’s life and death at Amazon, reporter Dave Jamieson exposes one secret to Amazon’s success. He explains how temporary workers toil in warehouses through the holiday season, taking lower wages than permanent staff and collecting minimal benefits. This cautionary tale reveals that seasonal workers live in hope that they will earn permanent positions, when in fact Amazon will fire most of them. getAbstract recommends this article to anyone with an interest in workers’ rights, health and safety, or in how Amazon functions.

Take-Aways

  • Seasonal workers at Amazon earn less and receive fewer benefits than permanent workers.
  • Amazon’s seasonal work model allows the company maximum flexibility while saving on staffing overheads.
  • Seasonal workers – such as Jeff Lockhart Jr. – often think they have a good chance of obtaining permanent positions if they work hard, but Amazon lets most of them go with little notice.

About the Author

Dave Jamieson is The Huffington Post’s labor reporter.


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