I took a job at an Amazon warehouse for 2 weeks because I was curious. AMA.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been in an Amazon warehouse here in the DC metro area and it was one of the most depressing places I’ve ever been. It’s what I think of when I hear about foreign sweatshops. The one I was in had a lot of books in piles on the floor, so not the same one as OP I assume. There was prison-style security, cameras everywhere, and the lunch room was a bleak concrete room with vending and a few tables.

[Anonymous]

One of my friends is a single mom and worked in an Amazon warehouse for a year. Her job was as you described. Except she wasn't doing it out of curiosity, but actually to pay bills. She said it was very depressing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my friends is a single mom and worked in an Amazon warehouse for a year. Her job was as you described. Except she wasn't doing it out of curiosity, but actually to pay bills. She said it was very depressing.

I felt very fortunate that this was not really my life or full time job. It really put my own real job into perspective and I’ll think twice about complaining about things like retuning late night client emails. It also gave me an appreciation for what unseen, poorly paid yet vital workers do and put class and value into a new light. During this experience I picked up the book Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich and while it was written some time ago much of what she says still hold true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:YOU LIVED MY DREAM! I (federal attorney) applied to do this during covid and never managed to get a shift that worked. I am so curious though! I still hope to do this one day!

Did you get a sense of how their inventory management worked? Any insight into how they collect data and make predictions about what to stock, where to move inventory, etc?

What items were most popular? What items surprised you?

No sense of how they managed inventory or collected customer data. That’s probably being done off site by their computer/engineering team. Diapers, pet food, cases of drinks, toys and cat litter and dog pee pads were the top products. There’s something called a bug a salt gun. That is also surprisingly popular.

So fascinating! Thank you for answering!

[Anonymous]

Could you listen to music or podcasts while you worked? I heard they don’t allow phones in the warehouse at all, but could you have some other kind of player?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:YOU LIVED MY DREAM! I (federal attorney) applied to do this during covid and never managed to get a shift that worked. I am so curious though! I still hope to do this one day!

Did you get a sense of how their inventory management worked? Any insight into how they collect data and make predictions about what to stock, where to move inventory, etc?

What items were most popular? What items surprised you?

No sense of how they managed inventory or collected customer data. That’s probably being done off site by their computer/engineering team. Diapers, pet food, cases of drinks, toys and cat litter and dog pee pads were the top products. There’s something called a bug a salt gun. That is also surprisingly popular.

I just searched Amazon for the bug-a-salt gun. Who knew? (I am still a little disturbed by the “customer images” of dead flies.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could you listen to music or podcasts while you worked? I heard they don’t allow phones in the warehouse at all, but could you have some other kind of player?

No it’s considered a safety violation but again they do have a large deaf population working there. I believe there may be some program they work with. There were 8 deaf people working the shift I worked. They communicate with the hearing via a tablet. So I’m not sure why they consider headphone a safety issue other than they really think it will cut into productivity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took a job at an Amazon warehouse for 2 weeks instead of going on vacation because I was curious. I was partially inspired by an article written by Philip Su a former tech executive who took the position to cure depression. I’m college educated and a small business owner. AMA. I quit this weekend. It’s been interesting.

How much were you paid?

17.50 per hour. My base was 16 but because of a night time differential I got an extra 1.50 per hour. 16 is a standard base irregardless of location meaning people in NYC and SF make the same. I don’t know how someone would live on what is basically $500 a week after taxes in those locales.

1. Irregardless ?? seriously?
2. Everyone knows it's not supposed to be a career that supports a family. It's exactly what you said - supplemental income.
3. Based on what you have said - I don't believe you worked there for a minute.

Okay Jeff Bezos

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your educational level, OP? I am asking because I noticed you used "irregardless" in an earlier post.

Not, OP, but I AM a linguist, and your poor attempt at shade isn't even rooted in knowledge. Some snoots have taking umbrage mean a word that has been in use for over 200 years isn't a word.

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/07/887649010/regardless-of-what-you-think-irregardless-is-a-word#:~:text=Merriam%2DWebster%20defines%20irregardless%20as,intensifier%2C%22%20the%20dictionary%20writes.

""Irregardless is included in our dictionary because it has been in widespread and near-constant use since 1795," the dictionary's staff wrote in a "Words of the Week" roundup on Friday. "We do not make the English language, we merely record it."""

Lot's of people use "ain't" and incorrectly use "don't" and "literally". Those words are also in the dictionary, but that doesn't mean their useage is correct. Being in the dictionary is a pretty low bar, and Merriam Webster clearly states it's a nonstandard word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your educational level, OP? I am asking because I noticed you used "irregardless" in an earlier post.

Not, OP, but I AM a linguist, and your poor attempt at shade isn't even rooted in knowledge. Some snoots have taking umbrage mean a word that has been in use for over 200 years isn't a word.

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/07/887649010/regardless-of-what-you-think-irregardless-is-a-word#:~:text=Merriam%2DWebster%20defines%20irregardless%20as,intensifier%2C%22%20the%20dictionary%20writes.

""Irregardless is included in our dictionary because it has been in widespread and near-constant use since 1795," the dictionary's staff wrote in a "Words of the Week" roundup on Friday. "We do not make the English language, we merely record it."""

Lot's of people use "ain't" and incorrectly use "don't" and "literally". Those words are also in the dictionary, but that doesn't mean their useage is correct. Being in the dictionary is a pretty low bar, and Merriam Webster clearly states it's a nonstandard word.

Why is this so triggering for people? Let it go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your educational level, OP? I am asking because I noticed you used "irregardless" in an earlier post.

Not, OP, but I AM a linguist, and your poor attempt at shade isn't even rooted in knowledge. Some snoots have taking umbrage mean a word that has been in use for over 200 years isn't a word.

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/07/887649010/regardless-of-what-you-think-irregardless-is-a-word#:~:text=Merriam%2DWebster%20defines%20irregardless%20as,intensifier%2C%22%20the%20dictionary%20writes.

""Irregardless is included in our dictionary because it has been in widespread and near-constant use since 1795," the dictionary's staff wrote in a "Words of the Week" roundup on Friday. "We do not make the English language, we merely record it."""

Lot's of people use "ain't" and incorrectly use "don't" and "literally". Those words are also in the dictionary, but that doesn't mean their useage is correct. Being in the dictionary is a pretty low bar, and Merriam Webster clearly states it's a nonstandard word.

Why is this so triggering for people? Let it go.

What does "triggering" mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I took a job at an Amazon warehouse for 2 weeks instead of going on vacation because I was curious. I was partially inspired by an article written by Philip Su a former tech executive who took the position to cure depression. I’m college educated and a small business owner. AMA. I quit this weekend. It’s been interesting.

Also known as something that didn't happen. What can someone know from 2 weeks? Orientation? This is a troll people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your educational level, OP? I am asking because I noticed you used "irregardless" in an earlier post.

Not, OP, but I AM a linguist, and your poor attempt at shade isn't even rooted in knowledge. Some snoots have taking umbrage mean a word that has been in use for over 200 years isn't a word.

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/07/887649010/regardless-of-what-you-think-irregardless-is-a-word#:~:text=Merriam%2DWebster%20defines%20irregardless%20as,intensifier%2C%22%20the%20dictionary%20writes.

""Irregardless is included in our dictionary because it has been in widespread and near-constant use since 1795," the dictionary's staff wrote in a "Words of the Week" roundup on Friday. "We do not make the English language, we merely record it."""

NP. I argued with my high school English teacher about this. His closing argument was, "His class, his rules." Ergo, I don't use irregardless despite its usage in the common vernacular.

Well, that is also true. I have nitpicky little rules in my classes (college) that I also enforce. But I do not look down on my students if they use irregardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took a job at an Amazon warehouse for 2 weeks instead of going on vacation because I was curious. I was partially inspired by an article written by Philip Su a former tech executive who took the position to cure depression. I’m college educated and a small business owner. AMA. I quit this weekend. It’s been interesting.

Also known as something that didn't happen. What can someone know from 2 weeks? Orientation? This is a troll people.

Everything in this AMA lines up with investigative journalism articles about Amazon warehouse work, although the specific details are different enough I fully believe it to be true. Why are you so resistant to the realities of low wage jobs in the US?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took a job at an Amazon warehouse for 2 weeks instead of going on vacation because I was curious. I was partially inspired by an article written by Philip Su a former tech executive who took the position to cure depression. I’m college educated and a small business owner. AMA. I quit this weekend. It’s been interesting.

Also known as something that didn't happen. What can someone know from 2 weeks? Orientation? This is a troll people.

Everything in this AMA lines up with investigative journalism articles about Amazon warehouse work, although the specific details are different enough I fully believe it to be true. Why are you so resistant to the realities of low wage jobs in the US?

No one is disputing the realities of low wage jobs. OP googled the job posting and likely knows someone who worked somewhere at Amazon. There are 1000's of people working in those warehouses. My son for one. Not everything they post is true. It's a troll.