We partnered with Warehouse Worker Resource Center to develop a research brief and two factsheets on the physical and mental health impacts that Amazon’s inhumane quota and tracking systems have on warehouse workers and delivery drivers.
January 14, 2021
We partnered with Warehouse Worker Resource Center to develop a research brief and two factsheets on the physical and mental health impacts that Amazon’s inhumane quota and tracking systems have on warehouse workers and delivery drivers.
We partnered with Warehouse Worker Resource Center to develop a research brief and two factsheets on the physical and mental health impacts that Amazon’s inhumane quota and tracking systems have on warehouse workers and delivery drivers.
We conducted a public health study in collaboration with Warehouse Worker Resource Center (WWRC) to examine how Amazon’s pace of work policies and practices affect worker health, safety, and well-being. We interviewed and surveyed Amazon workers, including full-time and part-time workers at Amazon fulfillment and delivery centers, and Amazon subcontracted delivery drivers at facilities in Southern California. Our research draws on data we gathered as well as from existing literature on the health impacts of work stress, unsafe ergonomic conditions, and economic insecurity. With this data, we created a suite of resources including a research brief and national and California-specific factsheets revealing the physical and mental health impacts of working for Amazon.
Amazon’s policies create unsafe working environments that causes frequent injuries and chronic stress among workers, along with economic insecurity due to frequent firings and injury-related job displacement. Amidst the ongoing pandemic, the health risks are heightened as COVID-19 outbreaks continue to rise in warehouses. Amazon’s workplace policies are precipitating a public health crisis that impacts thousands of workers in California, as well as their families and our broader communities.
Our findings reveal an urgent need for California policymakers and government agencies to create and enforce workplace standards that protect workers’ health and safety. We hope this research will be a tool for workers, advocates, and California policymakers to take the following urgent actions to protect public health: