Amazon Fulfillment Warehouse Former Employee Speaks About Work Conditions at the Facility
Oct 4, 2018
Brooks Schuelke, Esq.
Schuelke Law PLLC
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) October 4, 2018 – A worker at the Amazon warehouse in Fort Worth, Texas is speaking out about the working conditions at the facility. The 49 year-old woman was injured while at work, obtained workers compensation and is now homeless.
According to the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health’s Dirty Dozen employers who risk worker’s health list, Amazon’s warehouses are listed as having unsafe working conditions and focus more on efficiency and worker productivity than on employee safety.
The woman began working at the Fort Worth Amazon warehouse in May 2017. She says, she quickly began to notice how frequently she and other co-workers were asked about productivity, bathroom breaks and performance.
In October 2017, the woman injured her back while performing her job duties at her malfunctioning work station. According to the woman, her workstation was missing a brush safety guard that was intended to keep items from falling on the floor. She complained to management about her injury and was instructed to go to the medical area at the warehouse. She was allowed to use a heating pad for 30 minutes.
The woman continued to work with her injury. As her condition worsened, when the woman came to work, she was sent home by management without pay. She asked for workers compensation for her injuries.
Finally on workers compensation, the woman went for physical therapy and returned to work in January 2018 to find that the workstation she was injured at was still not fixed. She went back on medical leave, taking an extra two weeks unpaid leave. In April 2018 she was told by doctors that her back was still injured. However, five days after this assessment, it is alleged that Amazon’s workers’ compensation insurer instructed the company doctor to stop treating her.
In June 2018, the workstation was fixed. A month later the woman met with management and was offered a buyout of $3,500 provided she signed a non-disclosure agreement to not say anything bad about Amazon. She rejected the offer and is now allegedly homeless.
“If you find yourself in a similar situation, our door is open to you,” said Austin on-the-job injury attorney, Brooks Schuelke, of Schuelke Law, PLLC, not involved in this case. “Workers’ compensation law is complex and confusing. It’s best to not try and deal with it on your own or you may find your claim has been denied. We have a long track record of helping people in instances such as this.”
Schuelke Law PLLC
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