I did some warehouse work as a teenager. I wasn't a number. I was fresh meat in a violent, snide culture where there weren't any coherent processes or data. I'm a tough bloke, so one-armed Wally and angry Floyd did not ruin my summer. But if I were to go back into a warehouse again, I'd much rather have metrics and a data-driven system of accountability that applies to everyone. It beats an unstructured tyranny where overhead lighting is deliberately broken so cruel stuff can happen in dark corners.

So you're saying the choices are postmodern dystopia, or being beaten by your coworkers. Methinks there's some ground between.

I'm pretty sure what he was trying to say is that, as bad as Amazon's warehouses may be, his experience was worse, and, perhaps, that back in the day, warehouses were worse.

What conclusion you or the OP choose to draw from that is a different question.

Agreed! It's why immigrants in low-paying, low-skill jobs press so hard for their children to get as much formal education as possible. Even two years of community college is enough to gain more control (and income!)

Why put quotation marks around "data-driven" and "streamlined"? They are data-driven. People who do their jobs well get recognition, and the guys who show up and put in a half-assed day are asked to leave.

The jobs are designed to be doable with 5 minutes of training by anyone off the street. But they offer 40-hour weeks at above-average wages for untrained labour, with set expectations that can be met. Many sites offer after-work classes for in-demand skills to help people get better jobs. They have medical staff on-site in case of injuries, water stations everywhere to help keep people hydrated, safety rules and regulations they follow very carefully.

Most warehouse jobs do not offer those things.

>there's a line of people around the block waiting to take your job the moment you slip up.

Recruiting is typically handled by outside firms, at most sites I saw. They don't want to fire people, because hiring people costs money. Even if initial training takes 5 minutes, it takes a week or more to get good at the job, which means every time they fire someone, they lose money on labour efficiency while a new person gets up to speed.

I have some criticisms of the company after my time working there- including some that, as you said, gave me trouble sleeping at night. None are related to the way warehouse associates are treated.