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Re:Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs by michaelt on Monday May 13, 2019 @11:30AM (#19900268)
Some people believe, much like there's a minimum wage and below that you're not allowed to hire someone (even if both employer and employee consent and it's market rate) and minimum safety standards (again, irrespective of mutual consent and market conditions) there should be minimum levels of working conditions.
Re:Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs by mft_ on Monday May 13, 2019 @11:35AM (#19900311)
This what interests me (genuinely - I'm not just trolling here!)

If an employer has need for employees to perform a specific type of manual physical work --be it 'picking' for Amazon, or building houses, or working in agriculture, or whatever-- and they pay market rates, and adhere to health-and-safety laws... what other reasonable working conditions must be met?

For example, it's difficult to build houses without exposure to inclement weather.

Re:Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs by michaelt on Monday May 13, 2019 @04:23PM (#19903551)
Googling 'Amazon working conditions' produces a variety of reports.

Regular ambulance call-outs. Timed toilet breaks. Top floors at very high temperatures in summer. Workers doing heavy lifting complaining of back pain. Mandatory overtime of 60 hours a week. Performance targets calibrated for the young and healthy meaning pregnant women get fired for underperforming. Firing people for taking sick leave, even with a doctor's note. Wasting doctors' time by forcing employees to get doctors' notes for trivial ailments. Firing workers automatically without human intervention.

All of these would be unusual in a white-collar job; the biggest complaint I have at work is when the free bean-to-cup coffee machine breaks down and only instant coffee is on offer.

Re:Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs by dnadler on Monday May 13, 2019 @12:29PM (#19900902)
> ...and adhere to health-and-safety laws...

Aside from wages, it sounds like you agree with the sentiment of 'minimum working conditions', just perhaps disagree on the specifics of what that means.

Re:Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs by mft_ on Monday May 13, 2019 @12:38PM (#19900988)
I don't disagree - I really don't know what standard Amazon (in fact, all employers) are being held to here.

And I see a major challenge (logical and practical) for employers whose business requires employees to perform tasks that others find unacceptable, or "inhumane", but which are legal according to H&S standards.