The Harsh Reality for Amazon and Walmart Warehouse Workers

A recent survey of Amazon and Walmart employees revealed that half of their warehouse workers feel like they’re being constantly watched at work, with about 40% saying that “the monitoring contributed to pressure to move faster, even if that meant increasing the risk of injury.”

The 52-page study, titled “At Work and Under Watch: Surveillance and Suffering at Amazon and Walmart Warehouses,” draws from two surveys conducted by the Center for Urban Economic Development at the University of Illinois Chicago and interviews with employees. These surveys included responses from 1,484 Amazon workers and 444 Walmart workers.

The report highlights that, despite some differences, workers at both companies face high levels of surveillance. “This excessive monitoring is not only troubling for employees; it undermines their rights,” the report states.

Oxfam, an Amazon and Walmart shareholder, is a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. The organization champions worker's rights and advocates for fair trade practices.

Amazon and Walmart Respond

Amazon contested the report's findings and methodology. In a detailed rebuttal to Oxfam, Amazon expressed “strong disagreements with the portrayals and conclusions,” arguing that the report misrepresents how it monitors employees. “Our warehouse camera technology is not used to surveil employees,” the company clarified, challenging one of the main claims of the study.

A Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider that “Oxfam's claims are based on incomplete and misleading information. This report inaccurately represents Walmart's use of technology and Walmart's publicly available disclosures around data privacy and worker safety.”

Warehouse worker conditions

Despite the pushback, Oxfam’s investigation cites anonymous warehouse employees from both firms, revealing strenuous working conditions. One Amazon employee likened their experience to “slavery” stating, “They prioritize quotas and production rates over our well-being.”

Most workers barely have time for the necessities. According to the report, 54% of Amazon respondents and 57% of Walmart respondents said that pressure to hit their production rate makes it hard to use the bathroom at least some of the time.

“Being monitored this minutely takes a physical and mental toll as workers need to make decisions about taking breaks, eating, going to the bathroom, or even drinking water with their pace or performance metrics in mind,” the report says.

Amazon reports employing 750,000 operations staff in its U.S. warehouses, while Walmart has approximately 1.6 million U.S. associates, as per a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Subscribe to the Supply Chain 24/7 Newsletter and get supply chain, warehouse, and transportation news delivered directly to your inbox!