The California Labor Commissioner’s Office has hit Amazon with a nearly $6 million fine for breaking the state’s Warehouse Quotas law. The fine, totaling $5,901,700, came after an investigation revealed 59,017 violations at Amazon’s facilities in Moreno Valley and Redlands, just east of Los Angeles.
Amazon failed to provide written details to employees about their productivity quotas and what would happen if they didn’t meet them. This requirement is part of the Warehouse Quotas law, which took effect in January 2022.
California’s AB-701 law that was passed in September 2021 demands that big employers like Amazon be transparent about their work expectations.
This legislation was driven by reports from Amazon employees who felt pressured to skip bathroom breaks and work at an unsustainable pace. Governor Gavin Newsom, when signing the bill, stressed the need to protect workers from injury or punitive measures due to harsh work conditions.
Amazon isn’t taking the fine lightly and plans to appeal. They argue that their “peer-to-peer evaluation system” eliminates the need for fixed quotas.
Maureen Lynch Vogel, an Amazon spokesperson, mentioned that the company uses performance expectations based on various factors instead of rigid targets. She noted that employees are assessed over time and can always check in on their performance.
However, California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower pointed out that Amazon’s peer-to-peer system is exactly the kind of hidden quota practice the law aims to prevent. These undisclosed quotas can put extra pressure on workers, leading to higher injury rates and violations of break times.
Amazon’s labor practices have faced growing scrutiny nationwide. In 2022, Washington state regulators fined the company for making employees work at speeds that increased the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Similarly, OSHA has cited Amazon for several safety violations.
Other states like New York, Washington, and Minnesota have also introduced similar regulations to protect warehouse workers. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts recently introduced a federal bill to establish nationwide protections for these employees.
The fine against Amazon highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing productivity with worker safety in the booming e-commerce industry. As states and federal regulators tighten labor laws, companies like Amazon will need to ensure that their practices do not jeopardize employee welfare.
This decision could mark a significant step toward safer and more humane working conditions for Amazon warehouse employees.
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