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Amazon accused of using algorithms to push warehouse workers to breaking point. (www.theregister.com)

submitted 19 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Amazon has used tricks, algorithms, and surveillance to discourage warehouse employees from unionizing, according to a paper published in the journal Socius.

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[–] baggachipz 30 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

“Accused”? It couldn’t be more obvious.

It’s nothing new; I worked in a call center 15 years ago where the algorithms were designed to work them as hard as possible and steal commissions because they were too tired to pay attention. I should know because they told me to do that, I refused, and was fired for it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago

Same old trick in a new venue. This has been happening for a long time in Asian warehousing, but has hopped the pond this last decade or so. Worker's efficiency is set to a certain rate of efficiency, then they're reprimanded/fired for failing to meet it. The catch is that it's a challenging pace to begin with, and the window for successful completion almost-imperceptibly narrows, eventually becoming so ludicrously small that they must injure or maim themselves trying to beat it or even match the pace. Once they quit or cripple themselves, the company simply slides in a new candidate who doesn't yet understand just how Hellacious the work is.