Amazon Drivers Sue Tech Giant Over 'Inhumane' Working Conditions, Forcing Employees to Pee in Bottles
Three Amazon delivery drivers from Colorado have banded together to sue their employer for "inhumane" conditions, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The drivers accused Amazon of denying them bathroom breaks to accommodate tight delivery timelines.
The class-action lawsuit alleged that the work conditions put in place by Amazon forced drivers to relieve themselves in bottles, defecate in plastic bags or refrain from using the bathroom altogether during a shift.
According to the lawsuit filed on Monday, the drivers claimed that Amazon's performance metrics were problematic and fostered an unsafe work environment.
The drivers, who were listed as plaintiffs, alleged that the number of deliveries required by drivers to complete each day was unachievable if employees stopped to take a simple bathroom break.
Additionally, the drivers claimed that Amazon penalized employees who failed to meet the unachievable standards.
Plaintiff Ryan Schiling, who began working as a driver in 2018, compared working for Amazon to his combat experience.
Schiling recalled being overwhelmed by the performance standards when he started driving for Amazon. The Iraq War veteran said he skipped his lunch and state-mandated breaks and began packing empty water bottles to urinate in throughout his shift.
On multiple occasions he claimed he had to defecate in a dog-waste bag, so that he wouldn't fall behind on the demanding delivery schedule.
"We’re not in a combat zone," Schiling told local news. "There’s no reason I should be having to do the same things in a regular place of employment in the United States."
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Schiling's shocking claim was backed up by fellow plaintiff Leah Cross' experience, who also resorted to desperate means on the clock.
"When I worked for Amazon, I had to bring a change of clothes in case I peed my pants while trying to hit Amazon’s delivery metrics," Cross recalled. "I was told I couldn’t even stop to pick up some sanitary products."
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The lawsuit alleged that Amazon's intense employee tracking practices restricted employees' basic rights.
Amazon delivery trucks were said to be outfitted with surveillance technology that tracked employee's location and time stamp between stops.
Surveillance technology extended inside the vehicle as well. Eye movement of drivers was also closely watched — and employees who paused or took breaks were penalized for their actions.
Further, the lawsuit claimed that trash cans at Amazon warehouses overflowed with bottles filled with urine from drivers who disposed of the makeshift receptacles after their shift.