I think we’ve all learned something suspicious about Amazon at this point. A whisper of unethical practice, of a fearless article in their warehouses.But it’s hard to imagine an alternative when a mega-corporation is ever-present in our daily lives. Amazon is so massive that in modern society for many it will be inevitable to be a failure, and learning why they are troublesome may seem nearly fruitless.
Amazon has faced criticism for far more than just its tax avoidance.In June 2018 an article in the Seattle Times exposed the poor treatment of some of Amazon’s Chinese workers. It described how the Hengyang facility, “uses temporary and contract workers to an extent that violates Chinese law. Another ethical issue Amazon’s management and administration participated in was lying to OSHA about the working conditions and treatments of their employees.It’s highly dangerous for employees to work in the overheated factory where temperatures far reach 95 degrees in summer. Amazon’s dishonest and immoral reality is that many employees have suffered from and died from heat strokes.One of Amazon’s unethical actions rests with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration when it is asked to report any inappropriate or illegal behaviour in the workplace.After first warning, Amazon neglected problems of industrial hygiene, refused to comply with safety rules and declined to follow a safety policy and did not communicate information during and after the inspection.
Though Amazon has had various ethical issues, they have grown proportionately big and can not be easily avoided. Though millennials advocate for ethical practices within companies they support, Amazon seems to big to knock over with bad reviews. While some 41% of respondents agreed that Amazon shares their values, just 39% felt that Amazon rewards its employees fairly and only about one-fifth (19%) felt that the corporation speaks out on social issues that are important to them.
Amazon can do a couple of different things to help its brand rise above the most respected and valued companies. They should implement proprietary inspectors, with set working condition guidelines when aligning with a warehouse. In their contracts before partnering with any other business, they should list a few of the requirements, and hold quarterly inspections to keep those contractors in line. Also they can randomly select various employees to send surveys about their working conditions, and a private confidential line that workers can use in the event they feel they are being mistreated. All these resources and practices, will allow Amazon to keep all their third party private contractors accountable for the working conditions.
Willow, F., Willow, F., Willow, F., & Geordie. (2019, August 15). Amazon Is Unethical, Here’s How To Make Them Change. Retrieved from https://ethicalunicorn.com/2019/08/16/amazon-is-unethical-heres-how-to-make-them-change/
James, G. (2015, September 26). Top 10 Brand Scandals of 2015. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/top-10-brand-scandals-of-2015.html
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