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Amazon’s internal memo shows how close the coronavirus data is tracking in the warehouse
But behind the scenes, Amazon has carefully tracked the spread of the virus in at least one warehouse, according to an internal memo seen by CNN Business. And the data itself can raise new concerns about infection rates at the facility.
The memo, which appeared to be renewed until May 18, further divided departments, shifts and residential districts for 45 workers who were confirmed to have coronavirus. Detailed details highlight how closely the company oversees cases, although it chooses not to disclose this information to workers.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our team. We have rehired a large number of our data scientists, technology and operations employees to focus on Covid-19 and ensure the safety of our workforce, including thousands of people on our health and safety teams,” Amazon spokesman Kelly Cheeseman said in a statement to CNN Business. Cheeseman added that “in-depth analysis of the site is one of many tools that help us evaluate the complete picture in our building related to Covid-19.”
Amazon, which did not deny the existence of the memo, did not respond to questions about whether they collected similar information on other sites.
“We use various data to closely monitor the safety of our buildings and there is strong evidence that our employees do not multiply viruses in the workplace – what we see in general is that the overall level of infection and the increase or decrease in total cases are highly correlated with the level of community infection overall, “Cheeseman said in his statement. “For months Covid-19, thousands of employees and partners have worked on our Shakopee website and we believe people don’t spread the virus at work given the strong security measures we have taken.”
According to the memo, Amazon “regularly engages” with the Minnesota Department of Health and the prevailing regional health department regarding positive cases. But the memo also shows the significant desire of workers for more information. In the first two weeks of May, according to the memo, the Shakopee facility saw “64% of safety comments demanding transparency in details about infected Covid [Amazon Associates], requesting shift info, total amount, and the latest information. ”
“This memo shows [Amazon] know the details, but they hide it from us, “said Hibaq Mohamed, who has worked as an Amazon associate for more than three and a half years at the Shakopee facility and has advocated greater safety precautions.” They don’t I don’t want to tell us – but this virus is deadly. ”
William Stolz, an Amazon colleague at the Shakopee facility, told CNN Business that “the data that came out really supports everything workers have said in the past few months about how serious the spread is on Amazon.”
Amazon has witnessed an increase in demand during a pandemic when people stay at home and view their products and services as a lifeline for basic household needs. But it has also been the subject of increased scrutiny of the workplace conditions of its 110 fulfillment centers across North America with 400,000 employees.
Amazon said it shared with employees when there were confirmed cases where they worked, but workers said that communication was inconsistent. For example, an Amazon spokesperson previously confirmed to CNN Business that despite having included a number of confirmed cases when notifying workers, he stopped doing so because he did not find the figure useful.
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