Amazon HR system automatically fires 'inefficient' warehouse workers
Occurred: August 2017-April 2019
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An Amazon HR system automatically monitored and sacked 'hundreds' of workers at a single warehouse who were not considered to be working fast enough.
In a letter to the US National Labor Relations Board shared with The Verge, an attorney at law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius representing Amazon responded to a termination complaint by describing (pdf) how Amazon fired 'hundreds' of workers at a single facility between August 2017 and September 2018 for failing to reach productivity targets and quality-control mandates.
The system 'automatically generates any warnings or terminations regarding quality or productivity without input from supervisors', according to the letter. It also said that a worker would receive a termination notice if they were given six warnings in a 12-month period.Β
Amazon responded by denying it sent out automatically-generated termination notices and said its warehouse workers are given training to help them improve if they miss targets.
System π€
Amazon US π
Operator: Amazon
Developer: Amazon
Country: USA
Sector: Transport/logistics
Purpose: Improve productivity
Technology: Machine learning
Issue: Employment; Fairness
Legal, regulatory π©πΌββοΈ
News, commentary, analysis ποΈ
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8963968/amazon-workers-sacked-fired-robot/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-under-fire-for-software-that-recommends-firing-workers/
http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/technology/amazon-uses-artificial-intelligence-to-fire-warehouse-workers/article/548594
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-system-automatically-fires-warehouse-workers-time-off-task-2019-4
https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/amazon-warehouse-tracking-system-automatically-sacks-underperforming-workers/news-story/13a54a081c42e3a9f1948bf612005371
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/technology/artificial-intelligence-ai-workplace.html
https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/04/26/1021/amazons-system-for-tracking-its-warehouse-workers-can-automatically-fire-them/
Page info
Type: Incident
Published: February 2024