CALIFORNIA – The state of California has fined Amazon $5.9 million, alleging that the e-commerce giant imposed labor conditions that compromised the safety of its warehouse employees. Authorities announced this on Tuesday, June 18, highlighting violations of the state’s Warehouse Quota Law.
The citations, issued in May by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, indicate that Amazon.com Services LLC violated the Warehouse Quota Law at facilities located in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, east of Los Angeles.
This law, in effect since 2022, mandates that warehouse employers provide written notification to employees regarding any quotas they are required to meet, including the number of tasks per hour and potential penalties for not meeting these quotas.
Amazon was fined $1.2 million for its Redlands warehouse and another $4.7 million for the Moreno Valley facility. The company has expressed its disagreement with these accusations and has appealed the citations. Maureen Lynch Vogel, a spokesperson for Amazon, stated that the company does not impose fixed quotas and that employee performance is assessed over time in relation to the entire team. Furthermore, employees have the opportunity to review their performance and consult with their managers if they encounter issues.
Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower commented that Amazon implemented a system the Warehouse Quota Law aims to prevent. According to García-Brower, undisclosed quotas increase pressure on workers, prompting them to work faster, which can lead to higher injury rates and other violations by forcing employees to skip breaks.
The investigation by the Labor Commissioner’s Office began in 2022, following complaints from employees at the two Southern California facilities, who reported unfair quota practices. The Warehouse Worker Resource Center, a nonprofit organization, supported these complaints, emphasizing the need to improve labor conditions.
The fine imposed on Amazon underscores the importance of transparency in quotas and fair labor conditions to prevent exploitation and ensure a safe and healthy work environment.
