Amazon’s Prime Day sales event has come under scrutiny in a report released by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who claims it has been a significant factor in causing injuries to warehouse workers in Amazon’s facilities throughout the United States. The report, based on a year-long Senate investigation and internal company data from 2019 and 2020, highlights that peak shopping periods, including the holiday season, led to the highest weekly injury rates for warehouse employees. Interviews with over 100 current and former Amazon workers were also considered in the report. This year’s two-day Prime Day event started on Tuesday.
Sanders criticized the hazardous working conditions at Amazon, emphasizing the corporates’ focus on profits and disregard for worker safety. The report indicates that despite Amazon’s significant earnings and executive compensations, workers are allegedly treated as expendable. Unions and safety experts have long accused Amazon of prioritizing speed over safety, leading to increased risks for employees. Some states have implemented laws aimed at regulating Amazon’s warehouse productivity quotas.
According to the Senate report, during the 2019 Prime Day event, 45 out of 100 warehouse workers at Amazon sustained injuries, ranging from minor to severe. Amazon denied these claims, stating that they report all injuries beyond basic first aid requirements as mandated. The company highlighted a federal investigation that found no intentional misreporting of injuries.
The report also criticized Amazon for not referring workers for outside medical care in certain cases to avoid classifying injuries as “recordable.” Despite Amazon’s admission of higher warehouse injury rates compared to peers, improvements have been made. The company allocated over $750 million to safety initiatives in 2021 and reported a decrease in the rate of recordable incidents by 28%. However, the Senate report alleged that Amazon still fails to adequately staff its warehouses during peak shopping times, a claim disputed by the company.
