Last week there were claims the online retailer's staff falling asleep on their feet

Report alleged cameras monitor every move as employees try to process items

But now a former worker has said he was offered chocolates after the allegations
He said bosses handing out 7p Celebrations twice a day amounted to an 'insult'


Bosses at Amazon have handed out 7p chocolates to staff in response to claims their workers are pushed to exhaustion during intense 55-hour weeks, it has been reported.

Last week there were claims the online retailer's staff are falling asleep on their feet and being taken away in ambulances as they struggle to meet warehouse targets.

The report alleged cameras monitor every move as employees try to process up to 300 items an hour, with screens reminding them if they are falling short.

In the article - published by the Sunday Mirror - there were also claims staff at the firm's gigantic Tilbury warehouse were forced to walk a third of a mile to get to the loo.

Now the paper has spoken to a former Amazon worker who said bosses at the firm - which has a yearly revenue of £100 billion - have been handing out 7p Celebrations chocolates in response to the story.

Neil Drinkwater, 41, reportedly quit his job at a warehouse near Manchester after getting wind of the allegations.

He said: 'This week our managers started coming round with a box of Celebrations for the first part of the shift, and gave us a chocolate each.

'Then they did the same at the second part of the shift. We all thought it was an insult.'

Drinkwater claims he spoke to a supervisor about the report and was told chocolates were handed out to 'raise spirits' and 'get everybody on board'.

But he was so outraged by the claims, and by his own experiences, that he quit on Wednesday.

Drinkwater explained he was 'dead' after four days working at Amazon and admitted he even cried during a commute to the warehouse.

He also said he was on his final warning because he had made seven errors while processing 4,000 items.

The investigation at Tilbury, by an undercover reporter for the Sunday Mirror who spent five weeks there, suggested workers suffer mentally and physically as they try to meet demand.

He said that some of his colleagues were so tired from working 55-hour weeks that they would ‘sleep on their feet’.

‘Those who could not keep up with the punishing targets faced the sack – and some who buckled under the strain had to be attended by ambulance crews,’ he added.

It came at a time when Amazon has promised to improve the treatment of staff following accusations of poor conditions and low pay.

But one worker in Tilbury reportedly complained: ‘At my induction, someone was asking why the staff turnover was so high. It’s because they’re killing people. All my friends think I’m dead. I’m exhausted.’

Another is said to have written on a whiteboard for staff comments: ‘Why are we not allowed to sit when it is quiet and not busy? We are human beings, not slaves and animals.’

Amazon said in response to the story: ‘Amazon provides a safe and positive workplace with competitive pay and benefits. We are proud to have created thousands of roles in our UK fulfilment centres. As with most companies, we expect a certain level of performance.

‘Targets are based on previous performance achieved by our workers. Associates are evaluated over a long period of time.’

But one colleague is said to have collapsed as they worked and was taken to hospital by ambulance. Another was seen by paramedics after suffering a panic attack when she learned compulsory overtime meant she would have to work up to 55 hours a week over Christmas.

Once items are picked they go to a packing area where workers prepare 120 items for shipping every hour – rumoured to be increasing to 200 – or 85 multiple items, according to the investigation.

Amazon has also defended itself after it was revealed that ambulances were sent to its main Scottish warehouse 43 times last year.

Emergencies included 15 of the most serious Category A classification, with 23 workers taken to nearby hospitals. Call-outs to the depot in Dunfermline involved two staff being treated for falls, a call about ‘traumatic injuries’ and two for ‘industrial accidents’.

An Amazon spokesman said: ‘Independent safety experts certify our compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.’

A spokeswoman added: 'Associates are allowed to use the toilet whenever needed. We do not monitor toilet breaks.

'Amazon provides a safe and positive workplace for thousands of people across the UK with competitive pay and benefits from day one.

'We are committed to treating every one of our associates with dignity and respect. We don’t recognize these allegations as an accurate portrayal of activities in our buildings.'

She also stressed the firm has a 'range of initiatives' to support people who become ill at home or at work.