Feb 05, 2021 14:00:00

Amazon forces warehouse employees to shift midnight for 10 and a half hours

On January 25, 2021, Amazon offered hundreds of employees working in a warehouse called DCH1 in Chicago, Illinois, the option to 'apply for a 10-and-a-half-hour midnight shift or lose their jobs.' Employee advocacy group 'DCH1 Amazonians United' told overseas media

VICE .

Amazon Is Forcing Its Warehouse Workers Into Brutal'Megacycle' Shifts
https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3gk3w/amazon-is-forcing-its-warehouse-workers-into-brutal-megacycle-shifts

On January 25, 2021, Amazon management notified employees that DCH1 would be closed. In addition, Amazon has informed employees that if they want to continue working, they can move to a shift from 1:20 am to 11:50 am, called a 'megacycle shift,' at Chicago's new warehouse. So far, DCH1 employees have been able to choose from multiple options, including an 8-hour midnight shift from 8:45 pm to 4:45 am and a 4-hour or 5-hour morning shift. But now there is no choice but to choose a megacycle shift in the new warehouse, which is not feasible for many employees, DCH1 Amazonians United said.

VICE reports this policy as 'Amazon sacrifices employee health and safety to improve efficiency and customer service.' More than half of the last mile warehouses in the United States, such as DCH1, have already moved to the megacycle shift, an Amazon spokeswoman told VICE, 'Customers due to the move to the megacycle shift. It will improve the experience and make it easier for different delivery stations to work together. '

In response to this policy, Amazon employee organizations, including DCH1 Amazonians United, file petition requests for accommodation for mothers and others who can only work part of the shift, and transportation for night commuting. I announced that.

Employees already working in the megacycle shift described the shift as 'terribly long and exhausting,' while warehouse employees who had not yet transitioned to the megacycle shift 'suddenly changed their lives and schedules.' I'm afraid to change. '

When VICE asked an Amazon spokeswoman about when the transition to the megacycle shift began and when the transition would be complete, he said he didn't get a response. However, as far as the posts on the overseas bulletin board Reddit are confirmed, it is suggested that at least since August 2020, the transition is rapid with almost no prior warning.