Most of Amazon’s Warehouse Workers Are Repeatedly Injured & Take Unpaid Leave

According to a new national study, more than two-thirds or almost 70 percent of Amazon.com U.S. warehouse workers surveyed reported that they had to take unpaid time off to recover from pain-related injuries and/or exhaustion sustained on the job, and 34 percent of these individuals had to do so three or more times. The data suggests that not only are pain and injuries far more widespread at the commercial giant than previously thought, but workers are not taken care of in conjunction with these injuries, as they should be.

Workers also reportedly suffered work-related mental health issues, with many reporting that, the longer they worked for Amazon, the more burned out they felt.

Second Largest Employer of Warehouse Workers

Amazon, as the second-largest private-sector employer behind Walmart Inc., employs hundreds of thousands of workers in the U.S. in more than 450 facilities and 40 states, including here in Las Vegas, Nevada. This includes employing approximately 30 percent of the country’s overall warehousing workers, giving the company an intimidating amount of control over working conditions and compensation in the warehousing field.

That translates to a lot of injuries; in fact, in 2022 alone, there were almost seven serious injuries occurring for every 100 Amazon workers – more than double the rate of injury among all warehouse workers in the country as a whole.

Employees Pushed Too Hard

Critics explain the phenomenon by claiming that the company pushes employees to work too hard, and too quickly, which then leads to avoidable injuries. In fact, the issue has reached such heights in some states that workplace safety regulators allege a direct connection between the warehouses and musculoskeletal disorders suffered by their workers. Meanwhile, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Amazon for exposing workers to ergonomic risks at a number of facilities across the country.

While Amazon claims to have made investments in worker safety to help reduce the injury rate, making safety a priority, many workers are still suffering injuries regardless, and those who have difficulty keeping up appear to be more likely to be injured.

Do Not Live with The Pain: Contact A Work Injury Attorney

This is not how work injuries should be treated: If you sustain a work injury, your first step should be to consult a personal injury attorney to discuss your options, which include coverage for medical expenses and the inability to return to work due to your injuries.

Cameron Law is here to help: Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and find out what your legal options are to ensure that you are protected and can receive compensation to help you recover.

Source:

fortune.com/2023/10/25/amazon-worker-injuries-warehouse-study/