In the high-stakes world of e-commerce, Amazon's Prime Day has become a hallmark of the retail calendar, a two-day frenzy of discounts and deals that draws millions of shoppers. But behind the scenes, a disturbing truth has emerged – the very workers who make these sales possible are facing unacceptable levels of danger and injury.
A scathing report released by the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders, has lifted the veil on the perilous conditions faced by Amazon's warehouse employees during Prime Day and the holiday season. The investigation found that these peak periods are a major cause of injuries for the warehouse workers who make it possible, with injury rates more than doubling the industry average.
The data, obtained from Amazon's internal records, paints a grim picture. During Prime Day 2019, the rate of recordable injuries – those the company is required to disclose to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – exceeded 10 per 100 workers, more than twice the average in the US warehousing and storage industry. But the true toll is even more alarming, as the report reveals that Amazon's total injury rate, including those not reported to OSHA, was just under 45 per 100 workers.
These injury rates are especially egregious in light of the incredible revenue the company generates and the resources it has available to make its warehouses safe for workers, the report stated, noting that Amazon raked in $12.7 billion in sales during Prime Day 2023 and reported a profit of $10.4 billion in the first three months of 2024.
Amazon's spokesperson, Kelly Nantel, acknowledged the company's progress in reducing its recordable incident rate by 28% since 2019, but took issue with the total injury rate cited in the report, claiming it was based on a flawed internal document. Nonetheless, the Senate's findings paint a damning picture of the human toll behind Amazon's relentless pursuit of profits.
Over the years, Amazon workers have described the grueling experience of long hours racing around warehouses the size of 28 football fields, with the company's surveillance systems constantly monitoring their every move. In a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Senator Sanders wrote, Amazon must stop pushing workers past their limits… In its endless pursuit of profits, Amazon sacrifices workers' bodies under the constant pressure of a surveillance system that enforces impossible rates (of work).
As the e-commerce giant continues to dominate the market, the Senate report serves as a stark reminder that the true cost of Amazon's success may be measured in the health and well-being of the very people who make it possible. The onus now falls on the company to prioritize the safety and dignity of its workforce, lest the human toll of Prime Day and the holiday season continue to rise.
