10 Rules That Can Get You Fired From Amazon

[taustin]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

The only one that didn't make sense was the fired-for-being-sick. Maybe they didn't call in to notify? Anyway, the rest of those sound like appropriate shipping assembly-line rules intended to keep productivity up and the stuff we ordered looking nice.

On paper, she wasn't fired for calling in sick, she was fired for failing to disclose something before being hired that would interfere with her ability to do the job. A more extreme example would be someone interviewing for a job driving not disclosing they didn't have a driver's license.

(The reality could be that simple, or it could be, as the article speculates, an excuse to get rid of an employee that somebody didn't like for other reasons that weren't cause.)

Mostly, these make sense to me. The more nonesensical sounding ones, I would guess, are about controlling employee theft. Several are "don't bring stuff in that we sell." In my experience, employers who have that much trouble with employee theft treat their employees very poorly. People who like their jobs don't steal from them.

[Xanthe]

But the main point, again, that people are overlooking, is that this situation applies to the seasonal employees. You know, those folks who APPLY to work short-term during what is the most hellish work period of the year. One takes those jobs to make money, not for benefits or employer consideration. You know going in that you're just a cog in a machine, that you're going to be working obscene hours, that you're going to be handling a heavier-than-normal workload, and that there are plenty other people out there who would take that job if you can't handle it.

HealyHQ - Having seasonal/temporary employees listed on the payroll of the staffing company rather than the company at which they are performing the work is standard operating procedure for many large employers. I know for a fact that Merck does that.

I'm not trying to make excuses for a sucky workplace, only saying that it's not surprising or unsual given the context of seasonal/temporary employment. What folks in other countries have to realize is that worker protections and benefits in the USA are completely different for full-time and part-time permanent employees than they are for those who are working on a temporary basis.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

What folks in other countries have to realize is that worker protections and benefits in the USA are completely different for full-time and part-time permanent employees than they are for those who are working on a temporary basis.

Which is why many companies give employees just enough hours to avoid paying benefits. Walmart anyone? That way, these employees can get rely on the taxpayers to subsidize some of what their employer won't give.

Nice racket for big business; though it sucks for the taxpayers.

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Which is why many companies give employees just enough hours to avoid paying benefits. Walmart anyone? That way, these employees can get rely on the taxpayers to subsidize some of what their employer won't give.

Nice racket for big business; though it sucks for the taxpayers.

Well, that is the fault of people who continuously knock and mock unions, and who have undercut the hard-fought protections they have gained for workers over the years. Do away with the blue laws, keep stores and businesses open on federal holidays and you reduce employees to just another line item on the expense sheet. Why should they worry about paying benefits when there is always someone who will work on the weekends, on the holidays, overnights? Workers have had their power stolen away from them gradually starting with the Reagan administration, to the point where now the employers hold all the cards and call the shots.

I do realize that people work because they need to survive, and that people will take whatever jobs are out there in order to make money, and that for some, the ability to work weekends, holidays and overnight is a godsend. But we've allowed ourselves to become commodities again, instead of partners in the business process.

[screwballl]

Private companies are allowed their own rules of employment. Regardless if you think they are dumb or useless or whatever, then you have every right to NOT apply or work for them. Those that do choose to apply and work for them have to follow the rules of the employer.

[J. Strnad]

I supervise a number of employees and I'll tell you how it works here: Every rule we have was established after-the-fact. Somebody did something that common sense or common decency should have prevented them from doing, and voila, another rule is born.

About half of our rules are the result of one unfortunate hiring decision made some years ago.

I'll bet if you asked the right person at Amazon why they had a certain rule, they would say, "Well, it's because of this guy named 'Bob' who came in one day and...."

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by screwballl

Private companies are allowed their own rules of employment. Regardless if you think they are dumb or useless or whatever, then you have every right to NOT apply or work for them. Those that do choose to apply and work for them have to follow the rules of the employer.

there are also government standards and safety laws which must be adhered to

[theducks]

I have worked for a number of employers that simply Ignore the California Employment Regulations that they have posted on the wall (required by Law).

"There is the door"

Unions may be what we need, but then there are Union Bosse$, that have to justify getting big pay every year.

[RoboRay]

*****

[catsnotkis]

I don't think these rules are unreasonable. Most places have rules and some make no sense, and most monitor their employees.

[Gwen Morse]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

I'm not trying to make excuses for a sucky workplace, only saying that it's not surprising or unsual given the context of seasonal/temporary employment. What folks in other countries have to realize is that worker protections and benefits in the USA are completely different for full-time and part-time permanent employees than they are for those who are working on a temporary basis.

It's neither systematically true that temp workers are only in it for short-term money nor that full-time people get better standards.

Many states in the US are "at will" which means you don't have an employment contract. Employers can fire you at will, for any reason (other than discrimination). That means they're also able to provide sparser and sparser benefits (as long as the other local employers are doing it), which creates a downward spiral. My employment protection is no different than a part-time or temporary worker (my benefits are however better).

I work for a company where I was awarded two weeks vacation each year for my first three years employment and wasn't allowed to take a single day of vacation time those same three years. I was only allowed to start taking vacation when I switched to a different department than my starting department. I could use sick time but that was under different standards than vacation time, and only 6 months after my temp period ended, AND this sick time includes usage for catastrophic weather conditions. That means if I didn't (and still don't) want to have to drive to work in a literal blizzard, I need sick time left in my pool.

I started working for this company as a temp (and was a temp for 7 months). During my temp period I was not allowed to miss a single day, nor be more than 8 minutes late, even once. Remember that mention about driving through blizzards? This employment path is not because (like someone else implied) I'm a less-than-optimal employment candidate. My employer is a locked garden, the only ways in to the company are through "temp to perm" or contractor positions that only may eventually lead to permanent employment. Even more frustrating, the temp-to-perm (and contractor) positions do not have a clear conclusion date. The minimum time is 6 months, however temp positions of 8-12 months are the defacto standard.

Reading what other people are posting , I find these are surprisingly generous standards (said with *no* sarcasm) . At least I do get sick and vacation time. No wonky points systems for me!

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Gwen Morse

Reading what other people are posting , I find these are surprisingly generous standards (said with *no* sarcasm) . At least I do get sick and vacation time. No wonky points systems for me!

Well, as I wrote quite a few posts ago, our system here is different. Very different. But, there ain't such thing as a free lunch.

Here in my town, the price for gasoline - 95UNI - the kind that my 10 year old Skoda car takes is:
1.32 (Euros / liter) = 6.61418944 U.S. dollars / US gallon
The price is including standard 20% Value Added Tax that we pay for ALL goods here.

And my salary is fraction of what I would earn in my position in USA, or, for example [West ]Germany.

So, I do not drive to work in blizzard. I take a bus ;-). Municipal transport is still surprisingly decent here.

[Gwen Morse]

Originally Posted by kacir

Well, as I wrote quite a few posts ago, our system here is different. Very different. But, there ain't such thing as a free lunch.

Here in my town, the price for gasoline - 95UNI - the kind that my 10 year old Skoda car takes is:
1.32 (Euros / liter) = 6.61418944 U.S. dollars / US gallon
The price is including standard 20% Value Added Tax that we pay for ALL goods here.

And my salary is fraction of what I would earn in my position in USA, or, for example [West ]Germany.

So, I do not drive to work in blizzard. I take a bus ;-). Municipal transport is still surprisingly decent here.

I'm not sure what sort of discretionary money you end up with after paying your bills. I have somewhat generous free cash flow which I can spend on my family's assorted hobbies. However, I "pay" for that with decaying public infrastructure, medical insecurity (unless me and mine continue to be generally healthy), and daily reminders from company management that I'm an unwanted leech sucking blood (milk?) from the innovating profit-creating executive teat.

I'm not convinced that being able to afford to buy a new ereader every year is worth rotting schools that continue to graduate near-illiterate students.

[PatNY]

None of the rules seem draconian. However I still fail to see the rationale behind the gun chewing and watch rule. Why allow gum at all if it can fall and/or get stuck in the merchandise? Why bar just "new" gum? And discarding wrappers and gum shouldn't be an issue as they can just be tossed in the trash. As for a watch snagging merchandise, I think rings are more likely to do that. And most merchandise including clothing is probably in a plastic bag. As for watches being prone to theft, what about rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings? I would think they are just as likely to be stolen -- if not more so -- than a watch. The watch rule would make more sense if they were also barring all jewelry wearing while on the production line.

It's too bad the work rules at Amazon are not a little more friendly and reasonable. I also get concerned about the way Walmart treats its workers. Makes me feel a little guilty about shopping at both places. Especially if this is how they treat their year-round workers.

[NVash]

I have a question for all who keep saying these rules mainly apply to the temp workers, did you know that many people have to temp there before they have any chance of getting hired?

I find that as a bit of a cop out. I dont care if theyre temp or not, many businesses these days only hire through temp agencies and put the employees through so many things its crazy. Most of the things they go through may or may not be illegal, no one cares. You have a problem? Theres the door. And in this recession they know no one is taking the door, theyll just suffer because theyre glad they got a job.