Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

"Require" is the key word.
We have similar laws in the US. There's nothing stopping them from ASKING you to work ridiculous hours, and there's nothing stopping you from AGREEING to work ridiculous hours. There are, however limits to how long they can "require" you to work. Require: as in, "work this long or you're fired."

I work in a hospital, and it is quite common for the mental health workers and nurses to be mandated to do a double shift. It happens so often that they are quitting right and left and management has been forced to use a firm to hire staff.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

On the other hand... After I left Intel, I spent 8 years as a cook in a little owner operated pizza joint. Sometimes shit happens and I needed to stay over or come in early. Restaurant needs to stay open and serving if i want a continuing paycheck, so many 40+ to 50 hour weeks. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

That to me is not the same.
In the other circumstance, the doors wouldn't close if someone refused overtime.

In your case, the doors might close if you didn't show up. That could hurt the business.
You going in was very relevant to the company staying in business.

I worked in a hospital on graves doing 10 hour shifts. In my case, there was always someone willing to work overtime for a few hours. Beyond that, management did its best to get you out of there. Otherwise, they had to contend with double time (after 12 hours) and time and a half for the following shift (due to less than 11 hours rest between shifts).

Longevity also played a part, because salaries were higher and overtime would cost them more. Therefore, they did their best to get newer employees to do the overtime. I loved punching a clock, because I could leave work totally behind me when I went home.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by HarryT

EU employment law prohibits any employer from requiring an employee to work more than 48h a week.

And even if 48 hours is asked/required, it is not allowed to be structural, because it would be 'structural overwork' and that is forbidden as well.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

And even if 48 hours is asked/required, it is not allowed to be structural, because it would be 'structural overwork' and that is forbidden as well.

What does that mean? I don't understand what is the difference between "structural" work and regular work?

Shari

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by shalym

What does that mean? I don't understand what is the difference between "structural" work and regular work?

Shari

In the Netherlands, a shift can be 12 hours at most, and a workweek can be 60 hours at most.

https://www.werk.nl/werk_nl/werkgeve...den#d174500e17

- Maximum of 55 hours a week for 4 weeks.
- Union rules might set lower values. An employee may never work more than 60 hours in one single week.
- Over a period of 16 weeks, an employee may not work more than 48 hours in one week. (So, the more overwork weeks, the less work per week is allowed.)
- After one shift, an employee may not work for at least 11 hours.
- After working 5 days in one row, the employee may not work for at least 36 hours.

Exceeding these hours, where you do more work than is allowed by law, is called structural overwork.

[bandorchod]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/te...workplace.html

This excellent article may be too long for comfortable reading on a PC. Here is an eInk-friendly link:

http://www.readingthenet.com/mob?wsc...&whp=30&ct=pg1

The bigger it gets the more sucky it becomes. That is Amazon for you. Also read this

http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...king-practices

[bandorchod]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I suspect you'll save a lot of money if you only purchase from companies that never put business ahead of their employees personal lives.

Who are they?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by bandorchod

Who are they?

That's sort of the point.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by bandorchod

The bigger it gets the more sucky it becomes. That is Amazon for you. Also read this

http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...king-practices

A remarkably ill-written article. Great source of entertainment.


Or was that not what you meant?

[John F]

I think this is related to the original NY Times article.

http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/10/1...k-times-story/

[tubemonkey]

Amazon is mean and brutal. They make me cry every time I see my credit card statement

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Amazon is mean and brutal. They make me cry every time I see my credit card statement

Totally agreeing. If it is any consolation, tis the season for 5% cash back on some credit cards for stuff bought at Amazon.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Totally agreeing. If it is any consolation, tis the season for 5% cash back on some credit cards for stuff bought at Amazon.

That's right; especially on Black Friday.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Totally agreeing. If it is any consolation, tis the season for 5% cash back on some credit cards for stuff bought at Amazon.

Yep, Discover Card is giving 5% cash back on purchases up to $1500.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by John F

I think this is related to the original NY Times article.

http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/10/1...k-times-story/

Kinda.
But it's really more about the NYT's practices.

Sounds like a full-on newspaper war is about to explode, especially in view of this:

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/c...KXJR9U.twitter

And, for context:

http://projects.vassar.edu/1896/nypress.html