Amazon's Quotas and Injuries: A Senate Report's Findings

For a long time, people who support workers and some government officials have said that Amazon's tough production goals cause high injury rates among its warehouse employees. Amazon has always denied this, saying it doesn't have strict quotas and that its injury rates are going down or are already below average. But now, a report by the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, led by Senator Bernie Sanders, has found something different. The report says Amazon's own documents show that the company knew its quotas were linked to more injuries. Amazon's health and safety team even suggested easing up on these quotas to reduce injuries. However, high-ranking executives rejected these ideas, probably because they were worried about how it would affect the company's performance. The report also backed up earlier findings by a group supported by a union. This group found that Amazon's injury rates were almost double the average for the rest of the industry. It's important to think about why Amazon might prioritize its performance over the well-being of its workers. And it's also crucial to consider what changes could be made to protect workers while still allowing the company to perform well.