Catherwood LibraryILR School

Many amazon workers who suffer injuries on the job, often due to repetitive stress impacts while fulfilling demanding hourly quotas, have to deal with delayed or denied workers compensation benefits, or are denied light duty even recommended to do so by their physicians. One employee's surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome was delayed over a year due to the workers compensation insurance delaying authorization; the same employee had to return to work earlier than the doctor had recommended, and was not granted work place accommodations until a year later when the court date against Amazon drew near. The same insurance company initiated short-term surveillance to determine the employee's activity level. Another employee was denied workers compensation pay and light duty, and was then terminated for finishing her route late, due in part to her injury as well as a faulty delivery truck. In April 2018, Amazon was listed on the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health’s list of most dangerous places to work due to the company’s pattern of unsafe working conditions.