Irrespective of how badly Amazon treats its employees, all of us maintain buying there. There have been accusations that supply drivers weren’t allowed to go to the lavatory, the corporate reportedly left airport employees toiling away in 100 diploma warmth and now it’s apparently banned supply drivers from their final remaining pleasure at work: singing alongside to the radio.
Up to date Wednesday, September 4, 2024 5:10 p.m. EST – Amazon reached out to disclaim the studies of a crack down on singing together with the radio in vehicles and offered this PR video clip as proof. A PR spokesperson instructed Jalopnik: “This publish is totally inaccurate. Amazon has by no means issued steering or communications to Supply Service Companions that prohibits singing within the automobile.”
The retail big has reportedly started a crackdown on distracted driving for its supply employees, which suggests it’s now monitoring mouth motion whereas drivers are on the wheel, studies trade watchdog Freight Waves.
In keeping with Reddit customers that Freight Waves cited, Amazon has begun monitoring mouth actions on its drivers by way of a digital camera within the cab of its supply followers. An excessive amount of speaking on the wheel or singing alongside to the radio can set off the digital camera, leaving drivers prone to a distracted driving warning. As one Reddit consumer posted:
Yesterday was the final straw. I give up after my route final evening. Why? On the morning security briefing, we undergo all the traditional “bear in mind to cease at cease indicators” stuff, then they inform us “Amazon is making an attempt to actually reduce down on distracted driving, so we are able to’t be singing alongside to the radio as a result of the digital camera will ding you for distracted driving.” When folks understandably began getting upset, we had been instructed that “numerous mouth motion will set off the digital camera” and that we “wanted to maintain mouth motion to a minimal”.
You actually suppose you possibly can inform me what I can do with my physique? Fuck proper off. I’m accomplished.
The transfer has, understandably, sparked outrage amongst supply drivers working for Amazon with many arguing that this isn’t the sort of factor inward-facing cameras must be used for. As an alternative, they argue that the cameras ought to solely set off within the case of an accident and investigators ought to then simply be capable of watch again the couple of minutes main as much as any incident, as an alternative of monitoring drivers 24/7.
That’s an opinion shared by many Freight Waves readers, with the location publishing the outcomes of a survey into the controversial use of in-cab cameras as a part of its investigation. As Freight Waves studies:
Does anybody actually consider that singing distracts drivers or is that this a case of AI and surveillance overstepping its bounds? For me personally, hitting the excessive notes on a Whitney tune energizes me and retains me between the white traces.
I requested my community that’s nearly totally composed of provide chain or provide chain adjoining followers what they thought concerning the difficulty. Over 94% of X customers and 97% of LinkedIn customers consider that drivers must be allowed to croon.
That is simply the newest controversy to hit Amazon’s community of supply drivers, with studies rising final yr that racial bias in Amazon driver opinions may result in decrease pay and layoffs for some employees. Supply drivers additionally tried to sue the retail big claiming that they weren’t given enough time for breaks and had been compelled to pee in bottles whereas on shift.
