Amazon has sought to improve the morale of its stressed-out warehouse workers and reduce injuries by setting up so-called “ZenBooths” — interactive kiosks that are billed as “mindful practice rooms,” according to reports.
An Amazon initiative to install"mindfulness" booths in their warehouses to relieve worker stress has been described by a disgruntled employee as a"disconnected corporate platitude".
Amazon in recent years has come under fire from worker advocates for conditions at warehouses, where some employees have reported that they were forced to urinate in bottles and forgo bathroom breaks because of the breakneck pace and the demands of the job.“It’s the sort of disconnected corporate platitude that is so obviously out of touch with reality.”
An Amazon initiative to install 'mindfulness' booths in their warehouses to relieve worker stress has been described as a"disconnected corporate platitude". Picture: Amazon Leila Brown, an Amazon worker who helped create the ZenBooth as part of the “WorkingWell” program, said in a video that her goal was to “create a space that’s quiet” where “people could go and focus on their mental and emotional well-being.”
Employees can choose from several guided meditations and mindfulness-based exercises, according to the company. Picture: AmazonInjury rates at Amazon have typically been higher compared to its peers in the industry, which critics and labor safety experts blame on the company’s fast-paced warehouses that track productivity and allow customers to get their packages quickly.
Amazon released a report last week saying that its “recordable incident rate” — which it described as any work-related injury that requires more than basic first aid treatment — improved in 2023 by 8% compared to the year before and 30% over the past four years.