A shocking new report has revealed details about the conditions inside the warehouses owned by the online retail giant Amazon, and they're so bad, many supervisors have had to call 911 after workers threatened to commit suicide.
According to an article published in the Daily Beast on Monday, between October 2013 and October 2018, authorities responded to 189 calls for "suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts" and other mental-health emergencies. The article notes that those are just the ones the Daily Beast found.
The Daily Beast provided transcripts from some of the calls 911 operators, which they were able to access thanks to open-record requests.
Operator: Lebanon Police and Fire. Where’s your emergency?
Caller: Hi, I’m at 500 Duke Drive in Lebanon, so it’s the Amazon building. I’ve got an associate threatening suicide, she has very specific plans and has shown scratches more than anything on her arms but she’s trying to leave the building. She needs medical help, we can’t keep her here.
Operator: Police dispatch
Caller: Yes, hi, I wanted to see if we could get an officer out to the Amazon facility. I have an associate who had written a suicide letter to her children that was discovered on her today.
Caller: Hey this is Chris, loss prevention Amazon. How you doing?
Operator: Good how are you?
Caller: Not too bad, I need EMS to start our way please. I have a suicidal employee in one of our offices, he attempted to cut himself three or four times tonight. And he is willing to go with EMS.
Operator: OK, what did he attempt to cut himself with?
Caller: One of our safety box cutters.
Many of the calls were made for individuals who were upset over matters that were not related to their work at Amazon, and other involved people who were not employed or contracted to work at the facilities. The reports came from 46 of Amazon's warehouses across 17 states - or roughly 25 percent of the sorting and fulfillment center Amazon uses to deliver good to its customers across the U.S.
Warning: Audio below contains threats of suicide, and suicidal idealization.
In a statement provided to The Daily Beast, Amazon said the company valued the health of their employees, and that the story did not take into account the total number of associates employed by the online retailer.
“The physical and mental well-being of our associates is our top priority, and we are proud of both our efforts and overall success in this area,” the statement said.
“We provide comprehensive medical care starting on day one so employees have access to the care when they need it most, 24-hour a day free and confidential counseling services, and various leave and medical accommodation options covering both mental and physical health concerns.”
Amazon, which was founded by the richest man in the world, has long faced criticism for its brutal working conditions at its warehouses. Between an ultra-competitive workplace culture, to stories about employees being treated like robots, article after article has depicted working at an Amazon warehouse as less-than-desirable.
Photo: Getty Images
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who might be in distress. You can contact them at 1-800-273-8255
Photo: Getty Images