IT House June 5 news, according to CNBC reports, New York state lawmakers on Friday approved a law against Amazon’s use in warehousesproductivity quotathe latest sign of labor practices by government officials targeting the online retailer.
The state legislature passed the bill, titled “TheWarehouse Worker Protection Actwhich will go into effect after being signed by Governor Kathy Hotch.
The legislation reportedly requires Amazon and other companies that operate warehouses to provide workers with documentation of production quotas and notify them of any changes expected.It also prohibits companies from imposing quotas that prevent workers from eating, resting or using the toilet.
The bill comes two months after Amazon warehouses in New York voted to unionize, the first time that has happened at one of the company’s U.S. factories.
IT House understands that New York is not the first state to take such action against Amazon and its peers for quotas. Last September, the US state of California signed a similar bill. Earlier this year, lawmakers in Washington and New Hampshire introduced bills targeting warehouse production quotas.
Amazon currently relies on sophisticated algorithms to track the productivity of warehouse workers, recording the number of packages they pick, pack and store each hour.If workers take too long a break from scanning packages, Amazon’s internal systems will record them as “leaves” and warn them, which could lead to their dismissal.
Amazon’s productivity quotas have been the target of criticism from worker advocacy groups and Amazon employees, who say Amazon’s dehumanizing pursuit of efficiency has contributed to workplace injuries in warehouses. Multiple studies by the Union Confederation’s Center for Strategic Organizations attribute high injury rates for warehouse and delivery workers to Amazon’s “obsessed with speed.”
A representative for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has previously said it has made safety a top priority within the company, including rolling out programs aimed at educating employees on how to avoid workplace injuries. Amazon executives have also denied that the company uses production quotas in its warehouses.
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