Amazon pays workers to quit, no strings attached

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Aren't most of those workers actually employees of other companies that supply the labor?

Most warehouse workers are Amazon employees. Temp workers hired to work in the warehouse during peak times (i.e., Christmas) are usually employees of a staffing agency, though.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by shalym

Would you really want someone working for you who was actively looking for a new job?

Why in the world wouldn't you? Those are the employees whose skills are most in demand. If you want to be assured of retaining employees, that is simple enough, just hire people who couldn't get jobs anywhere else. Do you want good employees that you might have to work to retain or do you want poor employees who you can treat like dirt and they still won't leave? If an employer is going to fire people who look for new jobs, why would employees want to wok for that employer?

[frahse]

Originally Posted by shalym

I think the point is that they want to keep the people who are loyal to the company, and who want to work there. If someone is looking for another job, I don't want them working for me, and I imagine Amazon doesn't, either.

Shari

Sometimes you will be surprised at who will leave if a great opportunity is available.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Why in the world wouldn't you? Those are the employees whose skills are most in demand. If you want to be assured of retaining employees, that is simple enough, just hire people who couldn't get jobs anywhere else. Do you want good employees that you might have to work to retain or do you want poor employees who you can treat like dirt and they still won't leave? If an employer is going to fire people who look for new jobs, why would employees want to wok for that employer?

As I said, there is a big difference between people who take a job that is offered (I have been recruited several times while working another job, when the other company contacted me) and people who are spending time looking for a new job for the express purpose of taking the exit deal offered from the company they are currently working for

In the first case, I would have no problem with an employee leaving for that reason, and may try to give them a better offer in order to keep them. In the second case, I would say good riddance.

Shari

[ApK]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

A facility that gets too many acceptances will likely soon find itself with new managers. These tests run both ways.

Since the point is to make employees think about if they want to be there, the test can run a third way as well. A good employee who may have been considering taking that UPS job he was offered for $2 more an hour, or with the shorter commute or whatever, might see this offer and decide he appreciates working for a company that would do something like this, and stay. So it can act as a retention tool as well.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Ambition is bad without competence; it invariably produces politicians and nobody wants politicians in the workplace. Or anywhere else for that matter.

That's a great line. Original?

ApK

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by taosaur

Well, the point is both retention and morale. As the letter said, "The goal is to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want." They DO NOT want people sticking around from simple inertia and/or fear of the job market. They want their employees to consider their options and actively choose the Amazon job on a continual basis, reaffirming to themselves that they want to work there. It's good psychology, and capitalizing on our better qualities rather than our weaknesses, IMO.

Yeah, I don't think this is what you think it is. The point is for people NOT to take the package, and feel better about their jobs for having made the decision. Avoiding unemployment pay may come into it, but more in a "let the dead weight leave on their own" kind of way.

That's if you believe that the letter is explaining all of their motivations. On the surface it is believable. I've been around the block enough times to know that what is stated is rarely the whole story.

Amazon is seeing a slowdown in sales in states that collect sales tax. They're going to have to adjust to that.

But time will tell soon enough.

I've never seen a work environment where the "dead weight" acknowledge that they're dead weight.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by ApK

A good employee who may have been considering taking that UPS job he was offered for $2 more an hour, or with the shorter commute or whatever, might see this offer and decide he appreciates working for a company that would do something like this, and stay.

If part of a big push to emulate people-friendly personnel policies, you are likely correct. But if this is the only employee-friendly feature the main part of Amazon adopts from it's Zappos subsidiary, it will not be enough to get the right people to stay.

Here's the latest Zappos attempt to humanize the workplace. Sounds a little gimmicky, but:

No Managers and No Job Titles

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

I've never seen a work environment where the "dead weight" acknowledge that they're dead weight.

Right. The dead weight proclaim that the company is crap, and just might jump on a deal like this one.

[jayajha]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Some of their MayDay users have...interesting... queries:

Ah! Now I don't feel bad about the queries we get

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ApK

That's a great line. Original?

ApK

Alas, yes.
I gather you haven't encountered the like at work?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Alas, yes.
I gather you haven't encountered the like at work?

I have encountered the phenomenon, but I'd never heard it described so perspicuously and/or perspicaciously.*
You have, I think, defined a natural law.

ApK

*I'm sure at least one of those is a real word.

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Ambition is bad without competence; it invariably produces politicians and nobody wants politicians in the workplace. Or anywhere else for that matter.

It probably says a lot about the some of the rubbish jobs I've had, but two or three managers I've had the displeasure of working could definitely come under this classification.

Never thought of describing them as politicians though.... very apt!*

*I'll stick to smaller words for ease of spelling

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

Most warehouse workers are Amazon employees. Temp workers hired to work in the warehouse during peak times (i.e., Christmas) are usually employees of a staffing agency, though.

Ahh-yup!!

For those genuinely interested in seeing for themselves, Amazon is now scheduling tours of their fulfillment centers for the general public.
Really.
Oh, and they're hiring, which might have something to do with it.

Here:
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8947548011

I'm assuming union organizers and Melville House employees will be filtered out but I might be wrong. Amazon is crafty and there's no telling if their robots are armed with scavenged Dalek wespons.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

For those genuinely interested in seeing for themselves, Amazon is now scheduling tours of their fulfillment centers for the general public.

Thank you for posting this. My wife and I are now scheduled, on January 6, 2015, to see what $7.5 million in [Delaware] state grants, as well as a $1 million tax abatement has purchased.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Thank you for posting this. My wife and I are now scheduled, on January 6, 2015, to see what $7.5 million in [Delaware] state grants, as well as a $1 million tax abatement has purchased.

You're welcome.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate.