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

[Anonymous]

Where is the facility located?
How did they take it when you quit?

Cool AMA btw!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What surprised you? Either in a good way or bad.
Will you continue to be a customer?

For some reason I was surprised by how genuinely kind and decent nearly everyone I met there was. Some would jump from their station (risking a warning for being off task and hurting their pick rate) to help me a newbie. I was also surprised by what was clearly working poverty amongst the older adults working there. A number of the 40 plus year old workers had scars on the crook of their arms from what I found out was from donating plasma so much. They do it to make ends meet because the $500 per week wasn’t enough. I was also surprised by how minimal training was even for people operating fork lifts. Training is a day and a half and they get licensed to lift heavy pallets dozens of feet up onto shelving.

As for being a customer I will probably try to avoid using them if I can and will always think twice before ordering something heavy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is the facility located?
How did they take it when you quit?

Cool AMA btw!

I’d prefer not to give a location but it was in the eastern time zone. To quit all you do is tap resign on an app. That’s how easy it is to quit. Amazon expects high turnover and having an employee speak with hr or their manager is a waste of time and money. Amazon is all about frugality. It’s even posted as a core tenet on a wall. In the training they talk about how Bezos in the early days made desks out of a door and some wood legs because it was cheaper than buying a real desk and they keep tables like that around as a reminder of frugality. If the money they spend isn’t to help the customer to them it is a waste of money.

[Anonymous]

How do they determine which warehouse to pull my order from?

[Anonymous]

Where where you located? AMA but no location is lame.

[Anonymous]

You may find this book, not the movie, interesting. Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. It seasonal workers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where where you located? AMA but no location is lame.

NP. I don’t think it matters at all and I think it’s a cool AMA.

OP, how did your body take it? Did you lose weight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do they determine which warehouse to pull my order from?

If it’s being sold by Amazon and is a common/popular product it’s coming from the closest warehouse to you that has that product as nearly all the appropriately sized warehouses carry those item. Different warehouses have different products usually determined by the size of the product. The one I worked in had medium sized products. Things like printer paper, kids toys, diapers, pet food etc. There are other facilities that just handle smalls like lipstick, pens, etc or there is what’s known as amazonXL for very large items. If it’s a specialty item that is not a commonly purchased item it will be shipped from wherever they happened to store it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where where you located? AMA but no location is lame.

NP. I don’t think it matters at all and I think it’s a cool AMA.

OP, how did your body take it? Did you lose weight?

My body hurt, I’ve was constantly sweating like crazy at work (no air conditioning and the machines/other bodies just raise the temperature of the warehouse) and my pinky toe is numb from jamming against my steel toed shoes all day. I did also lose weight ( 6lbs) and found myself often too tired to eat properly most days.

[Anonymous]

How many steps did you log per shift? Weight loss ++

Would you ever be eligible for a free Prime membership?

Thanks for this AMA.

[Anonymous]

I wont ask you anything. I'm over 15 years old, and know you need more than 2 weeks to learn about a job and a company. Way more than 2 weeks.

Go back to class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where where you located? AMA but no location is lame.

NP. I don’t think it matters at all and I think it’s a cool AMA.

OP, how did your body take it? Did you lose weight?

My body hurt, I’ve was constantly sweating like crazy at work (no air conditioning and the machines/other bodies just raise the temperature of the warehouse) and my pinky toe is numb from jamming against my steel toed shoes all day. I did also lose weight ( 6lbs) and found myself often too tired to eat properly most days.

I have worked in a warehouse for 6 months and have never been asked to wear steel toes shoes. Ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How hard did it suck?

It sucks. Not going to lie. The work week is 4 days for 10.5 hours (includes a 30 minute unpaid lunch). Unlike other jobs they do track your every move. You’re constantly scanning your badge so they know what you’re up to meaning there is no down time. You work your full 10 hours on your feet wearing steel toed safety shoes. A lot of people complain about back and foot pain. They also express they are depressed because the job does not allow you much time to talk to coworkers. It’s an isolating job.

should have:
https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2584549/skechers-work-relaxed-fit-crankton-mens-steel-toe-shoes.jsp?skuid=75918521&ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=MENS%20SPORT%20SHOES&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=bing&CID=shopping20&utm_campaignid=401389607&utm_adgroupid=1224856173632448&gclid=05d255337c3815b6905d365949b292a3&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=05d255337c3815b6905d365949b292a3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wont ask you anything. I'm over 15 years old, and know you need more than 2 weeks to learn about a job and a company. Way more than 2 weeks.

Go back to class.

I don’t believe OP was insinuating they now know everything about the job. I found the information very interesting. And I, too, am over 15.

[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.

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.