Jeff Bezos Claims Amazon Needs to ‘Do a Better Job’ for Employees

In his final letter to shareholders as Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos stated that the e-commerce giant must “do a better job for our employees,” following recent reports of poor working conditions at the company.

The Verge reports that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos stated in his final letter to shareholders as CEO that the e-commerce giant has to “do a better job for our employees.” The letter comes as multiple reports of poor working conditions at Amazon facilities continue to come to public attention.

Bezos pushed back on the idea that Amazon doesn’t care for its employees, stating: “In those reports, our employees are sometimes accused of being desperate souls and treated as robots. That’s not accurate.” Despite that claim, one of Bezos’ suggested strategies is to develop staffing schedules using an algorithm.

To address concerns relating to Amazon’s working conditions, Bezos stated that the company will develop new staffing schedules “that use sophisticated algorithms to rotate employees among jobs that use different muscle-tendon groups to decrease repetitive motion and help protect employees from MSD risks.” Bezos added that the company will roll out this technology throughout 2021.

Bezos also publicly addressed the failed union drive at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama plant for the first time stating:  “Does your Chair take comfort in the outcome of the recent union vote in Bessemer? No, he doesn’t. I think we need to do a better job for our employees. While the voting results were lopsided and our direct relationship with employees is strong, it’s clear to me that we need a better vision for how we create value for employees – a vision for their success.”

Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union that led the Bessemer unionization drive, commented: “We have initiated a global debate about the way Amazon treats its employees. Bezos’s admission today demonstrates that what we have been saying about workplace conditions is correct. But his admission won’t change anything, workers need a union – not just another Amazon public relations effort in damage control.”

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com