A BBC investigation secretly filmed night shifts where workers were allegedly required to collect orders "every 33 seconds"
Retail giant Amazon has been accused of creating working conditions which
could cause "mental
and physical illness" for employees.
A BBC investigation secretly filmed night shifts where workers were allegedly required to collect orders "every 33 seconds."
The investigation for the BBC's Panorama programme involved an undercover reporter going through an employment agency to get a job at Amazon's warehouse in Swansea - where he secretly filmed his shifts.
The reporter, who was employed as a picker, had a handset which reportedly set how many seconds he had to find each product - and allegedly beeped if he made a mistake.
The reporter, who reportedly walked eleven miles during his ten and half hour shift, was paid £8.25 an hour, according to the BBC.
The footage was shown to a stress expert who said "the evidence shows increased risk of mental illness and physical illness."
Stress expert, Professor Michael Marmot, told the BBC: "There are always going to be menial jobs, but we can make them better or worse. And it seems to me the demands of efficiency at the cost of individual's health and wellbeing - it's got to be balanced."
Amazon, which has employed thousands of extra staff to help handle millions of purchases ahead of Christmas, says its workers are its "number on priority" and that official safety inspections has not raised any concerns.
Amazon told the BBC that an independent expert had advised the firm that the picking job "does not increase the risk of mental and physical illness."
Mirror
A BBC investigation secretly filmed night shifts where workers were allegedly required to collect orders "every 33 seconds."
The investigation for the BBC's Panorama programme involved an undercover reporter going through an employment agency to get a job at Amazon's warehouse in Swansea - where he secretly filmed his shifts.
The reporter, who was employed as a picker, had a handset which reportedly set how many seconds he had to find each product - and allegedly beeped if he made a mistake.
The reporter, who reportedly walked eleven miles during his ten and half hour shift, was paid £8.25 an hour, according to the BBC.
The footage was shown to a stress expert who said "the evidence shows increased risk of mental illness and physical illness."
Stress expert, Professor Michael Marmot, told the BBC: "There are always going to be menial jobs, but we can make them better or worse. And it seems to me the demands of efficiency at the cost of individual's health and wellbeing - it's got to be balanced."
Amazon, which has employed thousands of extra staff to help handle millions of purchases ahead of Christmas, says its workers are its "number on priority" and that official safety inspections has not raised any concerns.
Amazon told the BBC that an independent expert had advised the firm that the picking job "does not increase the risk of mental and physical illness."
Mirror
