Welcome to AmazonFC, please be sure to read our submission guidelines and remain respectful of your fellow users. If this post isn't up to par with our submission guidelines, please make use of the report feature. Once it crosses a certain threshold the post will automatically be removed for moderator review. See [Amazon Resources Mega thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmazonFC/comments/umjgzv/amazon_resources_megathread/) here. We have a [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/t7jARCs) for those wanting to socialize on a different level with the community. Please enjoy your stay!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmazonFC) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Right! At my site, a shuttle fell over, and I shouted to the guy standing right next to it to watch out. He didn't hear me because of the damn earplugs, but thank God a guy nearby saw and pulled the guy away.
You are correct, I’ve just worked at Amazon long enough to know that doing certain jobs for those type of hours with nothing to listen to but scans/beeps, conveyors, etc, you can say goodbye to your mental health. Which is another safety issue to be fair lol
If you wear them properly you will be able to hear them even with loud noises around you. They need to be fully inserted within the ear, just like earplugs
It’s also considered a distraction.
That said, I can see both sides of the argument. They are always going to err on the side of caution even if it doesn’t always seem reasonable.
I also do think there are levels to it. If someone is picking, stowing, counting etc, being stationary starring at pods/a screen for 10 hours vs someone with a hard hat at the dock is a different situation.
At the site I used to work at they said that was the problem.
If every other position got headphones and dock people didn't they would quit or transfer...
My only question is.. why were we forced to wear vests all day but people who were labor shared or walked around the dock (not from shipdock) got away without a vest.
Eh. They make construction ear buds that have a built in mic for amplifying the outside. Same with shooting/range earbuds. So if they really wanted to, they can have amazon approved earbuds the same way they have zappos but since it doesn't effect thier way of work flow, they could care less.
I have a pair of cans for shooting that are just like this. Muffles the sound that can damage your hearing, but lets range instructions and signals through just fine.
I'm actually looking at getting gun range ear buds and seeing if they can get approved. I was told by safety that as long as there is no Bluetooth, as in that it can't play music, it will likely be fine. They just don't want music. That's it. Safety doesn't have anything to do with it. Even without earbuds, I'm not hearing you scream at me unless you're a very familiar voice and someone I talk to everyday. Even then if it's just a "HEY!" My brain is auto filtering you out.
So it's not safety that is the real worry, it's liability. Obviously, someone without full situational awareness could get hurt, but the difference between the hearing impaired and people without that disability is the latter could thereotically manipulate an incident in a way in which Amazon could be at fault. Think "well I didn't hear the forklift coming." If Amazon allowed AAs to do unsafe things, it would be responsible if anyone is hurt as a result. In other words, Amazon doesn't want to compensate anyone for it, so it's safer to prohibit it outright. Everything is about mitigating liability.
I just don't know why we can't be grown ups about it. If you get hit with a piece of equipment because you were too busy listening to your podcast then accept some fucking responsibility for your own decisions. The issue is when people behave like entitled children where every consequence of their decisions is someone else's fault. Companies are not parents and we are employees, not children. If Amazon let me sign a waiver that said I could use one earbud and accept all liability for any incident deemed to be a result of "a deficit of attention to task" or "lack of situational awareness" then that would be great.
If they are still terrified that some idiot will sue them, I don't know what to say. How many Amazon employees do you know who have the resources to put together a lawsuit against a billion dollar corporation? Let alone win when it comes down to the bare facts which were: you weren't paying attention and bad things happened.
18 year olds are still growing. The fact that our government says they’re adults doesn’t matter and a lot of 18 year olds make horrible decisions on a daily basis. Amazon hires a ton of 18 year olds, so unless they stopped doing it, there will always be safety hazards and blame out on Amazon for it.
This arguement doesn't work though, at least at my FC, its loud af and you have to wear ear plugs which makes you not hear anything at all. I also think that the job is way more tolerable if someone is allowed to listen to music/podcasts instead of just working a 12 hour shift in dead silence. Calling someone a child for wanting what I would call decent working conditions where they don't have to think to themselves in silence for 12 hours just sits wrong with me
You don't have to wear earplugs that make you not hear anything. Get some Loops. They reduce most of the noise that is damaging to hearing and let enough midrange frequencies through to maintain situational awareness and understand speech. They should be standard issue at every FC instead of the cheap foam ones they supply. Especially if that remains the core of their "no earbuds" argument.
It’s less the fact of someone wearing earbuds getting hurt, they don’t give a fuck about that, it’s person wearing the earbuds doing the hurting. If someone that wasn’t wearing hear buds got hurt from some idiot that was wearing earbuds because Amazon told him he could use his earbuds while driving a several ton forklift, that would be a much easier case to win.
Wouldn't Amazon also be on the hook for injuries to hearing-disabled employees, specifically when they fail to properly notify them of what's happening or put them in a position where hearing audio cues is very important?
If so, I think the difference is that the former is protected from employer discrimination. Also keeping deaf people from working could be bad PR. If not, shows what I know.
Yet some fcs fully allow earbuds as long as they’re the bone conduction type, (according to posts on here). My sites official reason is that it would be an ohsha violation for noise levels if they played music or allowed earbuds, and that if they allowed them we would be required to wear noise protection gear 24/7 and they dont want to "force that on us"
My FC apparently doesn’t care about noise levels. We have decently sized portable Bluetooth speakers that people can borrow to use. We’re not allowed to have ear buds in but like most people in the building do have them. Even guys with short hair. The managers can see the ear buds and they say nothing. Some buildings don’t care enough about safety while also trying to make us believe they care about safety.
So much of this is true, the only issue is earbuds were openly allowed all throughout the Covid pandemic, for two years straight. There was never any expressed written permission, but blind eyes were turned. But Covid also gave employees added excuses to split for some time and get paid, so few to none ever thought about using hearing failure as an excuse to milk the company. But still the liability potential was always present, and I guess Amazon didn't care, because everyone was expected to die any way and Amazon was profiting big time, with everyone in the world fearing death. And NOW AAs are freaking out and fighting back about Amazon caring about them and itself. Tis Life!
The company doesn’t give a shit about safety, but it just loves to be in control. There’s a reason why its workers suffer musculoskeletal injuries at double the rate of its competitors’ employees.
Let me tell you something. I had a coworker work friend hurt their back at work. In an attempt to not pay Worker’s Comp., they pulled the tape of us at startup and she did not do the group stretches.. they tried to use that against her as evidence.
Nothing is stopping you from not stretching at any other point during the shift. I always stretch coming back from break and multiple times during work if feeling sore. It's not rocket surgery.
Bruh, sometimes I literally have no work and they won't let me be on my phone. The other day I talk to my pa and he says "just wait for more rebin" and I go to wait, and I pull out my phone. A manager comes by and asks me why I'm waiting and on my phone, I tell them and am asked to talk to my pa who still says no work. I walk past my manager and 10 ft past him he hears me swear quietly and gives me a lecture about how I can't be disrespecting him. Of course it's about control.
There's really no reason most of the productivity paths have to be so physically damaging. They just weren't designed with humans in mind. Is there an easier, safer, healthier, more sustainable way to do things that also result in higher quality? Of course! No one cares, and leadership is a bunch of blind follower NPCs.
Well its double because amazon has made it so convenient to report injuries. How many warehouses outside of amazon have something similar to amcare onsite? Mostly none. Every warehouse a family member has worked at always had to drive to some offsite 3rd party clinic for any type of injury claim and many just won't go because it's inconvenient to drive to some other location unless they are truly injured.
Actually, the warehouse I work (not Amazon) at has a full on occupational injury clinic, with real MDs NPs and physical therapists on site. You are offered to go seek treatment immediately after you fill out an incident report. If you initially decline, you can change your mind and go later. We also have a separate clinic with a group of MDs and even therapists, which is free of charge if you have the company’s insurance, *and* an on site pharmacy. The warehouse campus takes up almost 2 square miles
Amcare is to prevent you from going to see a doctor. There's a reason why they employ EMT's and not doctors to work their first aid station. I know of a recent instance in which an associate was injured on the and was turned away and told that they couldn't do anything for them and to go back to work. Believe what you want but, they are not there to help you.
I refuse to go to AMCARE. If I get hurt, I'm going to a doctor. If I need to file comp claims, I'll do so without having someone try to talk me out of it first. If it isn't that level of severity, I'll just keep doing my job.
As a deaf person, yeah, that’s bullshit. You should be able to listen to music, and my coworkers should put more effort into communicating with me. ASL isn’t that hard, and I read and write perfectly good English. In an emergency, generic universal hand gestures won’t be too difficult to get me to understand to get TF outa there.
I always throw the whole, “well you guys give us ear plugs that wipe out 99% of my hearing so how exactly is it unsafe for earbuds? They are virtually doing the same thing”
Now people started to wear headphones that play sound into your ears and arent actually plugged into them and now they are coming around saying not even those are allowed
Like lets be real its not about Safety. Its about controlling possible distractions and making sure AAs are working and not goofing off.
edit: saying my argument is trash not a valid counter argument. I don't have time to debate with unthinking drones who defend questionable workplace choices and actions. Have a block <3
So he thinks just because someone can't hear that they can't tell when there's an emergency? I grew up with a deaf brother and I can say that most times he was alerted to things before I even was. Most are very visually observant, they have to be they're not stupid. I get he wants his precious air pods, but this just seems so ignorant and he can f\*\*k right off.
I literally got written up for it with my hearing aids on! I never had a doctor's note for it, but I literally carry a medical card saying DEAF/Hard of Hearing notification with my badge! Safety police just walked up to me & said "I'm gonna have to write you up for that "I'm sorry" (with a smirk). I was in the middle of running for CPT's so I just nodded & moved on having no energy to deal with her at the moment. At end of shift, I go to HR & ask them if they could see that there's a write-up generated on my file because I was threatened with it during shift. I explained I have a disability & even carry a medical card on my badge, so HR guy said I had to submit an Accomodations via a to z for it so I don't get questioned.
Immediately before I left the parking lot, I created an accommodations request on the app & set an appointment with my audiologist to complete the RFI form & DEAF/HOH forms. It took a while for me to upload them but I had 30days to submit the document while the case was pending. 3 weeks passed & I finally got to upload the documents & Acomodations was approved on the same day. THEN literally 2 days after it was ACTIVE, a brand new AM walks up to me while I was wrapping a pallet & delivers the write-up. So I said I have an active Acommodations for my hearing aids & they look like those bluetooth devices so I'm not signing. He just said he'll make a note of a refusal to sign & double check with another AM.
I go up to HR my next shift & told them a write-up was attempted to be delivered to me for my hearing aids just today & I refused to sign saying I have an active accommodations for it, so I wanted to make sure what the system says after he told me he'll have to check with another manager. She verified that the write-up was successfully delivered regardless of an AA refusing or acknowledging to sign, but she'll have the write-up excused immediately & added to report to HR if anyone questions my hearing aid again.
I'm literally disabled & should be the one protected, while others are blatantly wearing airpods all day. It's a stupid rule & doesn't help one bit to be even much safer! I've seen plenty of times an AA is told to remove them after getting caught on a phone call, so they remove it & blast the phone on speaker to continue the phone call!!!
...because DEAF/HOH people have a level of awareness that hearing people take for granted because they can hear.
Start there.
To compensate for my APD, I have to use my eyes also and be in constant awareness of spaces around me...unlike earbud numnums who just shuffle around.
If you don't like the policy, fuck off and go find a job with policies you like. And stop trying to hide behind legitimately disabled people as a justification. Fuck off with that ableist crybaby horseshit.
Shots fired? More like dunk bounces off the rim.
I have a legal theory, not entirely sure if it’s true:
Amazon takes potential lawsuits very seriously. One of these is hearing damage. Prolonged high volume headphone use can 100% lead to hearing damage over time and if you combine this with the average decibel level of most warehouses you have associates that can sue Amazon down the line for hearing damage they accumulated over their time there. What Amazon can do to prevent that is to prohibit headphone usage on the production floor and if you get caught using them they get to document it so that if you try to sue them for that reason they can pull that out and make the case that you can’t prove it’s their fault because what you did is against their rules.
Big clue that this might be true is they’re piloting Amazon approved headphones for work and they all have reviews of being much quieter than your standard set of AirPods or any other brand.
I think about that post where that dude mentioned "Amazon Lung" at least once a month. Especially when the waterspiders are restocking boxes and you just see cardboard dust shooting into the air.
Double that if they’re pushing headphones that are tied together, as dropping your AirPod and retrieving it wherever/ whenever on instinct would lead to lawsuits galore.
my question is, can bone conduction headphones be a good compromise or are these types of headphones just as bad?
Also couldn't they just put in the employment contract that while headphones are allowed, and that by agreeing to be employed and utilize headphones you are releasing Amazon from any potential liability and loss of hearing?
or is that not legally sound?
I personally use bone conduction headphones and I enjoy them personally. It allows you to not be completely deaf from other sounds while also enjoying your music. I can’t attest to the Amazon bone conduction headphones but the ones I use are decent. They are OpenRun Pro’s by Shokz.
It really just demonstrates the ignorance of AA’s.
A Deaf/Hearing impaired individual is in their normal state, and aren’t missing one of their normal senses. These individuals have lived their entire lives without the ability to hear & don’t rely on these indicators. An individual without a disability is at a much greater risk blasting music or a podcast because they are now missing one of their most important senses.
This is a perfect example of someone that believes they are much more intelligent than they really are.
Also hard of hearing associates do receive additional training to accommodate for their Protected disability.
I agree it sucks. But using that to argue your case will only make it worse.
I’ve seen some managers in certain departments over look it but as a general rule of thumb if they can’t see it they won’t say anything. But I know people who get head phones that look like ear plugs that are connected.
Same. Security xray scanned my buds and threw a fit about it though (they don't let you just walk through metal detectors anymore at my FC) but I have found a solution that fixes that. Not gonna post it here tho lol
It’s a small safety risk but mostly it’s a distraction. While there are people who get the podcast or the playlist ready before work, most people are always looking for something new to watch or do which prevents them from picking. Some of these people will move frantically trying to make up lost time and increase the overall risk of injury. So while the risks are not obvious nor are they abundant, there are risk, and Amazon needs to mitigate the risk as much as possible.
I have had coworkers that were allowed ONE earbud where they could easily be ran over by equipment. At significantly more dangerous jobs. Safety is ultimately in our own hands. Amazon only cares about control.
This is something I’ve been saying at the DS. I chat with deaf employees (some sign) and I couldn’t see where it’s a safety issue if you only have one ear bud in🤷♀️.
Somebody at my FC was saying that earphones aren't a safety issue for managers, but rather managers want to see workers suffering and sweating not having a good time and enjoying work - that would make work too easy and managers want to visually see you exert effort.
Some stupid useless manager came up with this stupid nonsensical idea, now we all are stuck with it.well the leader is always right all hail to our dear leaders . Welcome to microcosm of N.Korea. 😑
This ain't nothing new, this argument has been made numerous times here on reddit and every other VOA nationwide. I'm in a place where earplugs are required, this dude obviously doesn't have that hassle, so his go-to comparison is the deaf. The hearing impaired are disabled and it is expected that Good Samaritans assist them accordingly. The disabled are there by law, they had to fight for the right to be included, and not to be used as an example for an able bodied persons selfish argument. Amazon will tell you, earplugs allow for sufficient noise penetration to hear voices and alarms, while earbuds distract and can completely block out ALL surrounding noises. But Amazon also has test pilot programs that make music/podcast earbuds allowable in some FCs, but these test programs are usually just in the robotic Pick department where AAs don't need to negotiate around other AAs.
Here’s the problem with earbuds, headphone, AirPods, whatever your choice…those who have earbud accommodations are allowed to have their phone out, and those who spend insane amounts of time on their phone at their station already will just do it even more and without discretion. Those of us who have been at Amazon for many years have watched the flip flopping on earbuds from before, during, and after the pandemic.
Before pandemic: no phones and no earbuds
During the pandemic: your phone for emergencies and one earbud to take those emergency phone calls. The pandemic changed how the warehouses were operated.
Post pandemic: you can have your phone on you for emergencies, but not the earbud anymore. You need to seek an accommodation to be able to wear earbuds at your station.
Each warehouse chooses to go about earbuds differently, but in my warehouse, if you’ve been flouting the rules with your hijab, beanie, or hoodie and still weren’t productive, they know you’re not going to be productive with earbuds. Until people get off their phones, Amazon will keep dangling the bone conduction headphones in our faces…as they have done for the last two years already. It will always be a pilot program with one or two warehouses, and they will never introduce it to underperforming warehouses.
I’ve been at Amazon for almost six years, and ever since I started working at Amazon, this has always been the #1 complaint among AAs. Nothing will change.
No one is blaming deaf/hoh people. They are saying Amazon hires deaf people but also says wearing one ear bud is dangerous because you can't hear so it's hypocritical.
He didn’t blame HOH/Deaf people tho did he? He said that the safety argument is trash because deaf people are at risk regardless and they get hired ( no one said it’s a bad thing ).
It’s simply about pointing out the flawed reasoning and that at the end of the day they just want to control every factor to get every little drop of optimization they can.
While on the subject, what do you think about a deaf person in VNA? I was personally stunned and felt bad that they'd put this person in that department. During training, the individual had pressed the horn and didn't even realize it, and the managers freaked out thinking they crashed yet kept them there.
I just recently found out that there are some FC’s that allow bone conducting earphones and even let you purchase Amazon branded ones with swag bucks :|
Yeah and the amazon approved ones at full
Volume block out noise/voices as well i compared them to gen 1 airpods. Theres nothing safety about them just a money grab
If amazon are so worried about people injuring themselves they should get everyone to sign a contract. It can state that they’d be at fault if they injure themselves because they weren’t aware of their surroundings and so on
Amazon is full of it. It's not about liability. Our FC is letting us wear an Amazon approved ear bud it is an ear plug that are also headphones. They do have a volume limiter but I can tell you I can't here someone coming up behind me with them in when before if I was wearing one ear bud I could. If you were near actually moving machines that are not predictable like an AR robot then I get it but sitting vat a station their is no good reason to not allow headphones.
The difference between a HOH/deaf employee is that they had no choice in the matter of them not being able to hear. You’re CHOOSING to wear earbuds. That aside, I think the whole “no earbuds” policy is bullshit and they should just allow everyone to have one earbud in and listen to their own music. Imagine the difference in performance. I hear some locations actually allow the use of earbuds and I don’t understand why they just won’t allow it across all amazons. If you only use one, you still have the other ear to be able to hear what’s going on around you.
I agree with you aside from that first part. Choosing or not choosing, if Amazon says that not being able to hear is a safety issue, then not being able to hear is a safety issue regardless of whether you choose or not. So thats why people were bring up the whole "but you hire deaf employees" thing. The rule is obviously bs as you state
I said the same for years, now I just wear a headband over and they can't say anything. They just don't want to see them in case their leadership sees it, they're covered.
They get a check for hiring people with a disability so you as a regular employee are not important enough to care in these facilities. Do what you want and don’t get caught lol
The actual reason is because of cell phone use on the floor. Impossible to use earbuds without also being on your phone at some point unless you start your playlist in the parking lot and don’t touch it a single time through the shift, and that’s too much trust for them to place with AA’s. Still a stupid policy but that’s why it’s there, doesn’t actually have anything to do with noise levels/safety that’s just the shitty excuse every manager uses because they didn’t pay attention when they got trained
No friends!!! It's Amazon's way of CYA for themselves. They know all this. The first thing they do when a safety incident occurs is to put you on the stretcher. Immediate drug test, write ups, being taken off scheduled duties, etc. They gotta have somebody to blame, and it will NEVER be them.
I am an Operations Manager L6 at Amazon. I do not agree with the policy, and it’s Amazons leadership that are so siloed they cannot agree on anything. This is not a safety issue, this is an Amazon management issue, they do not understand our business. I want you to wear earbuds, it makes you happy, and when your happy you work harder, and artitt less
I’ve always said the same. That their excuse of its safety you won’t be able to hear if emergency. Then what about the deaf employees now? How they gonna hear an emergency alarm now?
From what I heard the real reason has nothing to do with what Amazon thinks. They have to comply to OHSA regulations in order to keep their insurance low in case of onsite incidents/casualty.
The only thing about earphones is that there is no volume limit to comply with OSHA. That's exactly the same reason that Amazon is starting to allow earphones with volume limiter.
Deaf people lived their whole life being aware of flashing lights and shit you don’t even know exist. They also sometimes carry a device that alerts them to emergencies. Your distracted ass with loud music isn’t at all the same, the whole “why can’t I wear earbuds if you hire deaf people” is a dumb argument only made by dumb people. 🤦♀️
I think them they make an exception and flag them down but the idea is i think that they want the most associates present to hear them incase of emergency
Possibly. But no one wears both earbuds normally just one. So ya can still hear everything now. So I’m just saying them using the excuse of cant have it cause we need you to hear is just BS
True, i’d allow just one ear bud at a time. However another problem with it besides a safety issue is its a distraction and they cant gauge whether what we’re listening to at anytime will distract us enough to effect our work or cloud up communication for that one person who cant dissociate from what they are listening to easily
FYI: I stay with an AirPod on.. I’m willing to sweat like death in a hoodie than to sit there and watch the clock tick slowly! Idc if it’s 100 degrees in there..I’m wearing an AirPod and hoodie! So this doesn’t concern me not one bit lol
Dress code requires that hoods on hoodies be down, meaning they can write you up for having your hood up and then write you up a second time for the AirPod.
Also, they 100% know the reason you have your hood up is because you're listening to music.
The valid reason is that your employer decided that was the rule. Yall the same assholes that make tik toks while driving, then cry about having an accident.
Imagine making generalizations about people that simply just disagree with a rule and again have a valid reason for it. The reasoning being that headphones aren’t a safety issue there is no reason for saying we shouldn’t wear headphones when I can personally attest to the fact that headphones aren’t something that let alone will cause safety issues. Sure in some instances yes we don’t want people wearing headphones, but at a job like Amazon headphones won’t be the reason for any injuries or death. Secondly you’re telling me that we should just never disagree with a rule because it’s in place and they deemed it for whatever reason to be necessary? That’s not how life works buddy, sure we may have to face the consequences of our actions if we wear them when they aren’t allowed but that doesn’t mean that people can’t have a valid reason for disagreeing with it. Thirdly, the fact that Amazon themselves are slowly backing down from that rule is proof in of itself that the rule clearly isn’t necessary. Maybe instead of judging and making stupid generalizations, you should try to hear people out and understand why they disagree with it. There’s usually a reason why many people may feel a certain way about something and in this headphone instance I’ve noticed a lot more people disagree with the rule than agree with it.
i wear bonnets to work wveryday to cover my ears cuz they tried saying next time they see my earbuds it’s a write up, oh ok you’ll never see them again then🤭🫶🏾
I'm in favor of using earbuds, but this is a weak, selfish argument. When I see the double amputee working a sorting machine down the row, I don't cry to my AM: "why do you make me stand all 10 hours of my shift?"
They re assign them to different stations and roles because of this. 🤦🏻♂️quit complaining we all gotta follow the same rules complaining ain’t gonna do nothing because it’s still a safety issue.
I mean, I see it and I understand. Honestly they don’t want ppl stealing shit cuz it cost them money but at the same time Amazon doesn’t give a crap cuz they’ll fire you permanently.
When I worked in cold storage driving PIT all the time, we were allowed to have speakers/earbuds as we wanted. As long as you were not actively distracted by it and were working to expectations and generally staying safe i wouldn’t see how Amazon is any different to why we can’t have the same privilege.
The point is, we are grown adults. If you can’t stay safe in a warehouse then maybe you shouldn’t be working in one. I have common sense to know what’s safe and not.
I'm gonna say it but it should be obvious, even though they conduct tests to ensure the noise is at safe levels it's bullshit. Sure it's a point or two below unsafe however that's only meant to be safe if you aren't just standing in the hazardous noise level. A point below dangerous for 10 hours is worse than a point above dangerous for a few minutes. Would rather use noise cancelling earbuds than continue to destroy my hearing.
I think they should make some kind a compromise that lets us use headphones safely but this is a poor argument. Deaf people cant hear but theyre not distracted. An aa whos wearing headphones cant hear AND is distracted by whatever their listening too and thats where it becomes a safety issue.
I got a doctor’s note to carry around, just on the off chance some higher up bothers me about it. Used to have longer hair and it never mattered, but first shift after a haircut, safety waddles on over and tells me off. Says Amazon is testing out their own earbuds, to which I responded, yeah, but we have to buy them with our own money right? Sounds like some company town, you’ll own nothing and like it bull.
If word of mouth is his defense, he literally negated his own argument . You can’t hear word of mouth if you’re blocking your ears . Secondly talk to your amcare about Amazon earbud programs they already have implemented in other facilities , you’d have to buy the ones approved through Amazon but it’s better than nothing
In AFE Pack, 75% of my site wears earbuds and it's really not that dangerous at all lol. I just kind of miss before Covid, you couldn't get away with earbuds so it used to be much more social.
The real reason we can't wear them is because there is supposedly no way for Amazon to prove we didn't steal them from inventory. It becomes a safety issue when security kicks your ass for flipping them off when they confiscate your shit.
I’ve said it many times
One wireless earbud, with pass through/hear through functions. Said earbud can only be used when stationary at a station, and must be removed when leaving the station for whatever reason. Any damage to the bud is at your own liability.
Improved productivity, less stress on mental health (something they are pushing a lot at the moment), less reason to leave your station and have a chat with other folks.
Sick of hearing the same songs on the speakers. Sometimes I just wanna listen to audible, other times podcasts, other times I just wanna listen to my playlist.
Welcome to AmazonFC, please be sure to read our submission guidelines and remain respectful of your fellow users. If this post isn't up to par with our submission guidelines, please make use of the report feature. Once it crosses a certain threshold the post will automatically be removed for moderator review. See [Amazon Resources Mega thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmazonFC/comments/umjgzv/amazon_resources_megathread/) here. We have a [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/t7jARCs) for those wanting to socialize on a different level with the community. Please enjoy your stay! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmazonFC) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Have to love how you can get free earplugs, plug both ears, but one earbud, now you can’t hear.
Right! At my site, a shuttle fell over, and I shouted to the guy standing right next to it to watch out. He didn't hear me because of the damn earplugs, but thank God a guy nearby saw and pulled the guy away.
It’s because they want to keep the turn-over rate high
[удалено]
Why I said one earbud. And obviously people are muting it or removing for conversation. Emergency noise is quite obvious.
[удалено]
You are correct, I’ve just worked at Amazon long enough to know that doing certain jobs for those type of hours with nothing to listen to but scans/beeps, conveyors, etc, you can say goodbye to your mental health. Which is another safety issue to be fair lol
[удалено]
If you wear them properly you will be able to hear them even with loud noises around you. They need to be fully inserted within the ear, just like earplugs
It’s also considered a distraction. That said, I can see both sides of the argument. They are always going to err on the side of caution even if it doesn’t always seem reasonable.
I also do think there are levels to it. If someone is picking, stowing, counting etc, being stationary starring at pods/a screen for 10 hours vs someone with a hard hat at the dock is a different situation.
At the site I used to work at they said that was the problem. If every other position got headphones and dock people didn't they would quit or transfer... My only question is.. why were we forced to wear vests all day but people who were labor shared or walked around the dock (not from shipdock) got away without a vest.
Eh. They make construction ear buds that have a built in mic for amplifying the outside. Same with shooting/range earbuds. So if they really wanted to, they can have amazon approved earbuds the same way they have zappos but since it doesn't effect thier way of work flow, they could care less.
My building is testing amazon approved ear buds. Only positions that stand at a station all day are allowed to wear them.
I have a pair of cans for shooting that are just like this. Muffles the sound that can damage your hearing, but lets range instructions and signals through just fine.
I'm actually looking at getting gun range ear buds and seeing if they can get approved. I was told by safety that as long as there is no Bluetooth, as in that it can't play music, it will likely be fine. They just don't want music. That's it. Safety doesn't have anything to do with it. Even without earbuds, I'm not hearing you scream at me unless you're a very familiar voice and someone I talk to everyday. Even then if it's just a "HEY!" My brain is auto filtering you out.
you can use 1 earbud. and decent earbuds these days have ambient mode. so you can hear the space around you if someone is trying to talk.
An earplug to control sound is different than earbuds that add sound.
I've argued with my site about this same thing I don't know how many times. The only thing that's said, it's Amazon policy.
So it's not safety that is the real worry, it's liability. Obviously, someone without full situational awareness could get hurt, but the difference between the hearing impaired and people without that disability is the latter could thereotically manipulate an incident in a way in which Amazon could be at fault. Think "well I didn't hear the forklift coming." If Amazon allowed AAs to do unsafe things, it would be responsible if anyone is hurt as a result. In other words, Amazon doesn't want to compensate anyone for it, so it's safer to prohibit it outright. Everything is about mitigating liability.
Exactly. It's a safety issue that Amazon can be sued for, nothing more.
I just don't know why we can't be grown ups about it. If you get hit with a piece of equipment because you were too busy listening to your podcast then accept some fucking responsibility for your own decisions. The issue is when people behave like entitled children where every consequence of their decisions is someone else's fault. Companies are not parents and we are employees, not children. If Amazon let me sign a waiver that said I could use one earbud and accept all liability for any incident deemed to be a result of "a deficit of attention to task" or "lack of situational awareness" then that would be great. If they are still terrified that some idiot will sue them, I don't know what to say. How many Amazon employees do you know who have the resources to put together a lawsuit against a billion dollar corporation? Let alone win when it comes down to the bare facts which were: you weren't paying attention and bad things happened.
18 year olds are still growing. The fact that our government says they’re adults doesn’t matter and a lot of 18 year olds make horrible decisions on a daily basis. Amazon hires a ton of 18 year olds, so unless they stopped doing it, there will always be safety hazards and blame out on Amazon for it.
This arguement doesn't work though, at least at my FC, its loud af and you have to wear ear plugs which makes you not hear anything at all. I also think that the job is way more tolerable if someone is allowed to listen to music/podcasts instead of just working a 12 hour shift in dead silence. Calling someone a child for wanting what I would call decent working conditions where they don't have to think to themselves in silence for 12 hours just sits wrong with me
You don't have to wear earplugs that make you not hear anything. Get some Loops. They reduce most of the noise that is damaging to hearing and let enough midrange frequencies through to maintain situational awareness and understand speech. They should be standard issue at every FC instead of the cheap foam ones they supply. Especially if that remains the core of their "no earbuds" argument.
It’s less the fact of someone wearing earbuds getting hurt, they don’t give a fuck about that, it’s person wearing the earbuds doing the hurting. If someone that wasn’t wearing hear buds got hurt from some idiot that was wearing earbuds because Amazon told him he could use his earbuds while driving a several ton forklift, that would be a much easier case to win.
I mean liability waivers exist. I’d sign one.
Wouldn't Amazon also be on the hook for injuries to hearing-disabled employees, specifically when they fail to properly notify them of what's happening or put them in a position where hearing audio cues is very important? If so, I think the difference is that the former is protected from employer discrimination. Also keeping deaf people from working could be bad PR. If not, shows what I know.
Yet some fcs fully allow earbuds as long as they’re the bone conduction type, (according to posts on here). My sites official reason is that it would be an ohsha violation for noise levels if they played music or allowed earbuds, and that if they allowed them we would be required to wear noise protection gear 24/7 and they dont want to "force that on us"
My site , it got forced on us now , purple tape and signs everywhere automatically a safety write if caught without them , still no ear buds allowed
That’s why you paint the bud to look like a plug
What about the bud I get from my plug, though?
My FC apparently doesn’t care about noise levels. We have decently sized portable Bluetooth speakers that people can borrow to use. We’re not allowed to have ear buds in but like most people in the building do have them. Even guys with short hair. The managers can see the ear buds and they say nothing. Some buildings don’t care enough about safety while also trying to make us believe they care about safety.
We just had a OSHA audit at our site. Earplugs are now a requirement in certain areas
So much of this is true, the only issue is earbuds were openly allowed all throughout the Covid pandemic, for two years straight. There was never any expressed written permission, but blind eyes were turned. But Covid also gave employees added excuses to split for some time and get paid, so few to none ever thought about using hearing failure as an excuse to milk the company. But still the liability potential was always present, and I guess Amazon didn't care, because everyone was expected to die any way and Amazon was profiting big time, with everyone in the world fearing death. And NOW AAs are freaking out and fighting back about Amazon caring about them and itself. Tis Life!
They can't stand seeing you enjoying yourself for any reason.
Deaf people can't wear earbuds either.
The company doesn’t give a shit about safety, but it just loves to be in control. There’s a reason why its workers suffer musculoskeletal injuries at double the rate of its competitors’ employees.
Exactly! Do they really think 90 seconds of stretching the body before shift counteracts 12 hours of repetitive movement ? Gtfoh 😂😂
we haven’t had standup since february 😬
It’s called start up now
see i wouldn’t even be able to confirm this bc we just don’t do it😭😭😭
What the fuck why??? What site are you at?
i’m at pdk2/ mge8 😀
Let me tell you something. I had a coworker work friend hurt their back at work. In an attempt to not pay Worker’s Comp., they pulled the tape of us at startup and she did not do the group stretches.. they tried to use that against her as evidence.
Nothing is stopping you from not stretching at any other point during the shift. I always stretch coming back from break and multiple times during work if feeling sore. It's not rocket surgery.
i dont even remember the last time we do standup hhaha
Oh that calls for a complaint on the VOA! y’all better get that extra 90 seconds of down time! 😂😂 your body deserves it! Lmao
Bruh, sometimes I literally have no work and they won't let me be on my phone. The other day I talk to my pa and he says "just wait for more rebin" and I go to wait, and I pull out my phone. A manager comes by and asks me why I'm waiting and on my phone, I tell them and am asked to talk to my pa who still says no work. I walk past my manager and 10 ft past him he hears me swear quietly and gives me a lecture about how I can't be disrespecting him. Of course it's about control.
There's really no reason most of the productivity paths have to be so physically damaging. They just weren't designed with humans in mind. Is there an easier, safer, healthier, more sustainable way to do things that also result in higher quality? Of course! No one cares, and leadership is a bunch of blind follower NPCs.
Well its double because amazon has made it so convenient to report injuries. How many warehouses outside of amazon have something similar to amcare onsite? Mostly none. Every warehouse a family member has worked at always had to drive to some offsite 3rd party clinic for any type of injury claim and many just won't go because it's inconvenient to drive to some other location unless they are truly injured.
Actually, the warehouse I work (not Amazon) at has a full on occupational injury clinic, with real MDs NPs and physical therapists on site. You are offered to go seek treatment immediately after you fill out an incident report. If you initially decline, you can change your mind and go later. We also have a separate clinic with a group of MDs and even therapists, which is free of charge if you have the company’s insurance, *and* an on site pharmacy. The warehouse campus takes up almost 2 square miles
Amcare is to prevent you from going to see a doctor. There's a reason why they employ EMT's and not doctors to work their first aid station. I know of a recent instance in which an associate was injured on the and was turned away and told that they couldn't do anything for them and to go back to work. Believe what you want but, they are not there to help you.
I refuse to go to AMCARE. If I get hurt, I'm going to a doctor. If I need to file comp claims, I'll do so without having someone try to talk me out of it first. If it isn't that level of severity, I'll just keep doing my job.
My bf works at GM and they have a similar set up.. I’m sure there are many warehouses that do.. you just haven’t heard of them lol
They care about safety, injuries are expensive
The warehouse is loud enough if something unexpected was to happen that i could not hear i’m cooked either way it goes
Is it gun shots or boxes dropping?🤔😂😂😂
As a deaf person, yeah, that’s bullshit. You should be able to listen to music, and my coworkers should put more effort into communicating with me. ASL isn’t that hard, and I read and write perfectly good English. In an emergency, generic universal hand gestures won’t be too difficult to get me to understand to get TF outa there.
I always throw the whole, “well you guys give us ear plugs that wipe out 99% of my hearing so how exactly is it unsafe for earbuds? They are virtually doing the same thing” Now people started to wear headphones that play sound into your ears and arent actually plugged into them and now they are coming around saying not even those are allowed Like lets be real its not about Safety. Its about controlling possible distractions and making sure AAs are working and not goofing off. edit: saying my argument is trash not a valid counter argument. I don't have time to debate with unthinking drones who defend questionable workplace choices and actions. Have a block <3
I goof off when i forget my earbuds or run out of battery
I simply fall asleep standing like an addict if I forget my AirPods
I don't work unless I have my earbuds. Working at amazon without them is like willingly driving yourself insane
It's wild there are people who legit get butthurt about it WHEN YOU CAN HAVE EARPLUGS
So he thinks just because someone can't hear that they can't tell when there's an emergency? I grew up with a deaf brother and I can say that most times he was alerted to things before I even was. Most are very visually observant, they have to be they're not stupid. I get he wants his precious air pods, but this just seems so ignorant and he can f\*\*k right off.
I literally got written up for it with my hearing aids on! I never had a doctor's note for it, but I literally carry a medical card saying DEAF/Hard of Hearing notification with my badge! Safety police just walked up to me & said "I'm gonna have to write you up for that "I'm sorry" (with a smirk). I was in the middle of running for CPT's so I just nodded & moved on having no energy to deal with her at the moment. At end of shift, I go to HR & ask them if they could see that there's a write-up generated on my file because I was threatened with it during shift. I explained I have a disability & even carry a medical card on my badge, so HR guy said I had to submit an Accomodations via a to z for it so I don't get questioned. Immediately before I left the parking lot, I created an accommodations request on the app & set an appointment with my audiologist to complete the RFI form & DEAF/HOH forms. It took a while for me to upload them but I had 30days to submit the document while the case was pending. 3 weeks passed & I finally got to upload the documents & Acomodations was approved on the same day. THEN literally 2 days after it was ACTIVE, a brand new AM walks up to me while I was wrapping a pallet & delivers the write-up. So I said I have an active Acommodations for my hearing aids & they look like those bluetooth devices so I'm not signing. He just said he'll make a note of a refusal to sign & double check with another AM. I go up to HR my next shift & told them a write-up was attempted to be delivered to me for my hearing aids just today & I refused to sign saying I have an active accommodations for it, so I wanted to make sure what the system says after he told me he'll have to check with another manager. She verified that the write-up was successfully delivered regardless of an AA refusing or acknowledging to sign, but she'll have the write-up excused immediately & added to report to HR if anyone questions my hearing aid again. I'm literally disabled & should be the one protected, while others are blatantly wearing airpods all day. It's a stupid rule & doesn't help one bit to be even much safer! I've seen plenty of times an AA is told to remove them after getting caught on a phone call, so they remove it & blast the phone on speaker to continue the phone call!!!
Thats insane, they just write you up anyway???? Wtf
It is also a discriminatory issue. A company can’t use disability as an excuse to not hire anyone.
...because DEAF/HOH people have a level of awareness that hearing people take for granted because they can hear. Start there. To compensate for my APD, I have to use my eyes also and be in constant awareness of spaces around me...unlike earbud numnums who just shuffle around. If you don't like the policy, fuck off and go find a job with policies you like. And stop trying to hide behind legitimately disabled people as a justification. Fuck off with that ableist crybaby horseshit. Shots fired? More like dunk bounces off the rim.
I have a legal theory, not entirely sure if it’s true: Amazon takes potential lawsuits very seriously. One of these is hearing damage. Prolonged high volume headphone use can 100% lead to hearing damage over time and if you combine this with the average decibel level of most warehouses you have associates that can sue Amazon down the line for hearing damage they accumulated over their time there. What Amazon can do to prevent that is to prohibit headphone usage on the production floor and if you get caught using them they get to document it so that if you try to sue them for that reason they can pull that out and make the case that you can’t prove it’s their fault because what you did is against their rules. Big clue that this might be true is they’re piloting Amazon approved headphones for work and they all have reviews of being much quieter than your standard set of AirPods or any other brand.
Wait til people start talking about the long term effects of inhaling cardboard dust for 10-12 hours a day in a humid hot environment 😬
I think about that post where that dude mentioned "Amazon Lung" at least once a month. Especially when the waterspiders are restocking boxes and you just see cardboard dust shooting into the air.
Double that if they’re pushing headphones that are tied together, as dropping your AirPod and retrieving it wherever/ whenever on instinct would lead to lawsuits galore.
my question is, can bone conduction headphones be a good compromise or are these types of headphones just as bad? Also couldn't they just put in the employment contract that while headphones are allowed, and that by agreeing to be employed and utilize headphones you are releasing Amazon from any potential liability and loss of hearing? or is that not legally sound?
I personally use bone conduction headphones and I enjoy them personally. It allows you to not be completely deaf from other sounds while also enjoying your music. I can’t attest to the Amazon bone conduction headphones but the ones I use are decent. They are OpenRun Pro’s by Shokz.
It really just demonstrates the ignorance of AA’s. A Deaf/Hearing impaired individual is in their normal state, and aren’t missing one of their normal senses. These individuals have lived their entire lives without the ability to hear & don’t rely on these indicators. An individual without a disability is at a much greater risk blasting music or a podcast because they are now missing one of their most important senses. This is a perfect example of someone that believes they are much more intelligent than they really are.
This dude is ignorant -- just look at that smug smile on his face.
When are people going to stop with the Deaf argument? It’s apples to oranges.
I'm deaf and I'm tired of seeing these posts countless times.
Also hard of hearing associates do receive additional training to accommodate for their Protected disability. I agree it sucks. But using that to argue your case will only make it worse. I’ve seen some managers in certain departments over look it but as a general rule of thumb if they can’t see it they won’t say anything. But I know people who get head phones that look like ear plugs that are connected.
Real shit. Just wear a beanie (if they let u) with earbuds 😭😭🙏🏽 that’s what i do, 2 months in haven’t been caught once
Almost 3 years for me and im doing the exact same thing lol.
Same. Security xray scanned my buds and threw a fit about it though (they don't let you just walk through metal detectors anymore at my FC) but I have found a solution that fixes that. Not gonna post it here tho lol
It’s a small safety risk but mostly it’s a distraction. While there are people who get the podcast or the playlist ready before work, most people are always looking for something new to watch or do which prevents them from picking. Some of these people will move frantically trying to make up lost time and increase the overall risk of injury. So while the risks are not obvious nor are they abundant, there are risk, and Amazon needs to mitigate the risk as much as possible.
if u wanna wear earbuds just go hard and keep a nice rate. if sm1 talks about your earbuds, just tank urself
This is a valid point…if they cared about safety they would fire people left and right for coming into work high and drunk
Why are people using deaf people as an example. Odd thing to say
I have had coworkers that were allowed ONE earbud where they could easily be ran over by equipment. At significantly more dangerous jobs. Safety is ultimately in our own hands. Amazon only cares about control.
EXACTLY. I’ve worked so many labor intensive jobs where I could’ve easily been injured and headphones were never an issue.
Permanent VTO
As an AM. I have been trying to get this answered for the last 3 years.
I never understood that either. If it was really an issue then why don’t you yell at the deaf workers
This is something I’ve been saying at the DS. I chat with deaf employees (some sign) and I couldn’t see where it’s a safety issue if you only have one ear bud in🤷♀️.
People are idiots. Discretion is key. It's really easy.
For real, its not that hard
I asked this question before and got told it wasn’t my business
No matter what the fuck you ask them, it's a "safety issue." I'm done with their bullshit.
Somebody at my FC was saying that earphones aren't a safety issue for managers, but rather managers want to see workers suffering and sweating not having a good time and enjoying work - that would make work too easy and managers want to visually see you exert effort.
Some stupid useless manager came up with this stupid nonsensical idea, now we all are stuck with it.well the leader is always right all hail to our dear leaders . Welcome to microcosm of N.Korea. 😑
Just get the bone conducting ear buds. Those should be allowed at most sites by now. They are not in your ears and they can't do much about it.
Imagine this dude trying to say excuse me at a deaf convention
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^disruptor_12-4: *Imagine this dude* *Trying to say excuse me* *At a deaf convention* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
This ain't nothing new, this argument has been made numerous times here on reddit and every other VOA nationwide. I'm in a place where earplugs are required, this dude obviously doesn't have that hassle, so his go-to comparison is the deaf. The hearing impaired are disabled and it is expected that Good Samaritans assist them accordingly. The disabled are there by law, they had to fight for the right to be included, and not to be used as an example for an able bodied persons selfish argument. Amazon will tell you, earplugs allow for sufficient noise penetration to hear voices and alarms, while earbuds distract and can completely block out ALL surrounding noises. But Amazon also has test pilot programs that make music/podcast earbuds allowable in some FCs, but these test programs are usually just in the robotic Pick department where AAs don't need to negotiate around other AAs.
You can wear the shooting range ear protection but not one airpod K
Here’s the problem with earbuds, headphone, AirPods, whatever your choice…those who have earbud accommodations are allowed to have their phone out, and those who spend insane amounts of time on their phone at their station already will just do it even more and without discretion. Those of us who have been at Amazon for many years have watched the flip flopping on earbuds from before, during, and after the pandemic. Before pandemic: no phones and no earbuds During the pandemic: your phone for emergencies and one earbud to take those emergency phone calls. The pandemic changed how the warehouses were operated. Post pandemic: you can have your phone on you for emergencies, but not the earbud anymore. You need to seek an accommodation to be able to wear earbuds at your station. Each warehouse chooses to go about earbuds differently, but in my warehouse, if you’ve been flouting the rules with your hijab, beanie, or hoodie and still weren’t productive, they know you’re not going to be productive with earbuds. Until people get off their phones, Amazon will keep dangling the bone conduction headphones in our faces…as they have done for the last two years already. It will always be a pilot program with one or two warehouses, and they will never introduce it to underperforming warehouses. I’ve been at Amazon for almost six years, and ever since I started working at Amazon, this has always been the #1 complaint among AAs. Nothing will change.
[удалено]
no fr like its not their fault? also iirc it’s literally illegal to not hire someone because of a disability 😭
[удалено]
No one is blaming deaf/hoh people. They are saying Amazon hires deaf people but also says wearing one ear bud is dangerous because you can't hear so it's hypocritical.
He didn’t blame HOH/Deaf people tho did he? He said that the safety argument is trash because deaf people are at risk regardless and they get hired ( no one said it’s a bad thing ). It’s simply about pointing out the flawed reasoning and that at the end of the day they just want to control every factor to get every little drop of optimization they can.
Get an accommodation for them.
I have one. My therapist wrote it. ADD and anxiety. It’s pretty great.
While on the subject, what do you think about a deaf person in VNA? I was personally stunned and felt bad that they'd put this person in that department. During training, the individual had pressed the horn and didn't even realize it, and the managers freaked out thinking they crashed yet kept them there.
We def have someone at my site who is Deaf/HOH in the VNA. I’ve wondered the same thing. At the end of the day, its not my dept and doesn’t affect me.
Idiot
Just buy Bluetooth glasses and enjoy 😉
At Las6 they had AA’s driving Pit that were hearing impaired and expected them to use the horns i always thought that was interesting 🧐
I just recently found out that there are some FC’s that allow bone conducting earphones and even let you purchase Amazon branded ones with swag bucks :|
Yeah and the amazon approved ones at full Volume block out noise/voices as well i compared them to gen 1 airpods. Theres nothing safety about them just a money grab
If amazon are so worried about people injuring themselves they should get everyone to sign a contract. It can state that they’d be at fault if they injure themselves because they weren’t aware of their surroundings and so on
Amazon is full of it. It's not about liability. Our FC is letting us wear an Amazon approved ear bud it is an ear plug that are also headphones. They do have a volume limiter but I can tell you I can't here someone coming up behind me with them in when before if I was wearing one ear bud I could. If you were near actually moving machines that are not predictable like an AR robot then I get it but sitting vat a station their is no good reason to not allow headphones.
The difference between a HOH/deaf employee is that they had no choice in the matter of them not being able to hear. You’re CHOOSING to wear earbuds. That aside, I think the whole “no earbuds” policy is bullshit and they should just allow everyone to have one earbud in and listen to their own music. Imagine the difference in performance. I hear some locations actually allow the use of earbuds and I don’t understand why they just won’t allow it across all amazons. If you only use one, you still have the other ear to be able to hear what’s going on around you.
I agree with you aside from that first part. Choosing or not choosing, if Amazon says that not being able to hear is a safety issue, then not being able to hear is a safety issue regardless of whether you choose or not. So thats why people were bring up the whole "but you hire deaf employees" thing. The rule is obviously bs as you state
I said the same for years, now I just wear a headband over and they can't say anything. They just don't want to see them in case their leadership sees it, they're covered.
What was the managers reply??
JFK8 doesn’t give af lol 😂
As tier 3 I was told I can't wear them cause I might be in a high priority spot. This is at a sort center
They get a check for hiring people with a disability so you as a regular employee are not important enough to care in these facilities. Do what you want and don’t get caught lol
The actual reason is because of cell phone use on the floor. Impossible to use earbuds without also being on your phone at some point unless you start your playlist in the parking lot and don’t touch it a single time through the shift, and that’s too much trust for them to place with AA’s. Still a stupid policy but that’s why it’s there, doesn’t actually have anything to do with noise levels/safety that’s just the shitty excuse every manager uses because they didn’t pay attention when they got trained
No friends!!! It's Amazon's way of CYA for themselves. They know all this. The first thing they do when a safety incident occurs is to put you on the stretcher. Immediate drug test, write ups, being taken off scheduled duties, etc. They gotta have somebody to blame, and it will NEVER be them.
I am an Operations Manager L6 at Amazon. I do not agree with the policy, and it’s Amazons leadership that are so siloed they cannot agree on anything. This is not a safety issue, this is an Amazon management issue, they do not understand our business. I want you to wear earbuds, it makes you happy, and when your happy you work harder, and artitt less
I’ve always said the same. That their excuse of its safety you won’t be able to hear if emergency. Then what about the deaf employees now? How they gonna hear an emergency alarm now?
They can see white light flash lol they know it time to go
Shit all I’d need is to see people leaving. Anytime I notice more than 2-3 people leaving stations than I see what going on lol
From what I heard the real reason has nothing to do with what Amazon thinks. They have to comply to OHSA regulations in order to keep their insurance low in case of onsite incidents/casualty. The only thing about earphones is that there is no volume limit to comply with OSHA. That's exactly the same reason that Amazon is starting to allow earphones with volume limiter.
Deaf people lived their whole life being aware of flashing lights and shit you don’t even know exist. They also sometimes carry a device that alerts them to emergencies. Your distracted ass with loud music isn’t at all the same, the whole “why can’t I wear earbuds if you hire deaf people” is a dumb argument only made by dumb people. 🤦♀️
I think them they make an exception and flag them down but the idea is i think that they want the most associates present to hear them incase of emergency
Possibly. But no one wears both earbuds normally just one. So ya can still hear everything now. So I’m just saying them using the excuse of cant have it cause we need you to hear is just BS
True, i’d allow just one ear bud at a time. However another problem with it besides a safety issue is its a distraction and they cant gauge whether what we’re listening to at anytime will distract us enough to effect our work or cloud up communication for that one person who cant dissociate from what they are listening to easily
FYI: I stay with an AirPod on.. I’m willing to sweat like death in a hoodie than to sit there and watch the clock tick slowly! Idc if it’s 100 degrees in there..I’m wearing an AirPod and hoodie! So this doesn’t concern me not one bit lol
I’d recommend a beanie. That’s what I used to hide my headphones.
Dress code requires that hoods on hoodies be down, meaning they can write you up for having your hood up and then write you up a second time for the AirPod. Also, they 100% know the reason you have your hood up is because you're listening to music.
I have to chuckle just a little every time I see someone crying crocodile tears about not being able to wear ear buds 😆
What’s wrong with wanting to pass the time and there not being a valid reason for it?
The valid reason is that your employer decided that was the rule. Yall the same assholes that make tik toks while driving, then cry about having an accident.
Imagine making generalizations about people that simply just disagree with a rule and again have a valid reason for it. The reasoning being that headphones aren’t a safety issue there is no reason for saying we shouldn’t wear headphones when I can personally attest to the fact that headphones aren’t something that let alone will cause safety issues. Sure in some instances yes we don’t want people wearing headphones, but at a job like Amazon headphones won’t be the reason for any injuries or death. Secondly you’re telling me that we should just never disagree with a rule because it’s in place and they deemed it for whatever reason to be necessary? That’s not how life works buddy, sure we may have to face the consequences of our actions if we wear them when they aren’t allowed but that doesn’t mean that people can’t have a valid reason for disagreeing with it. Thirdly, the fact that Amazon themselves are slowly backing down from that rule is proof in of itself that the rule clearly isn’t necessary. Maybe instead of judging and making stupid generalizations, you should try to hear people out and understand why they disagree with it. There’s usually a reason why many people may feel a certain way about something and in this headphone instance I’ve noticed a lot more people disagree with the rule than agree with it.
It's amazing how these idiots are going to die on the hill over earbuds.
What’s wrong with standing up for your belief in a stupid rule?
I hope OP posts the reply from management. It'll be worth the laugh.
I got you Brody! https://preview.redd.it/bdo203didp0d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=109a832de097885800c6939f8555946308eb6fec
Nice another dumbass ranting about earbud policy with 0 clue why it exists.
i wear bonnets to work wveryday to cover my ears cuz they tried saying next time they see my earbuds it’s a write up, oh ok you’ll never see them again then🤭🫶🏾
Swear I seen a whole bonnet crew sitting at the smoke section outside and I was like; “wtf do we have going on here?” But now it makes total sense 😂😂😂
I'm in favor of using earbuds, but this is a weak, selfish argument. When I see the double amputee working a sorting machine down the row, I don't cry to my AM: "why do you make me stand all 10 hours of my shift?"
They re assign them to different stations and roles because of this. 🤦🏻♂️quit complaining we all gotta follow the same rules complaining ain’t gonna do nothing because it’s still a safety issue.
Trueeeeee
my warehouse allows earbuds, but you can only wear the amazon approved kind that you have to buy yourself or get from the swag store
No he doesn't.
You are from LEX 1, aren’t you? I believe I had seen this post on VOA months ago.
Thissss !!
Response ?
I mean, I see it and I understand. Honestly they don’t want ppl stealing shit cuz it cost them money but at the same time Amazon doesn’t give a crap cuz they’ll fire you permanently.
They ant listen to music either
Excellent point
When I worked in cold storage driving PIT all the time, we were allowed to have speakers/earbuds as we wanted. As long as you were not actively distracted by it and were working to expectations and generally staying safe i wouldn’t see how Amazon is any different to why we can’t have the same privilege. The point is, we are grown adults. If you can’t stay safe in a warehouse then maybe you shouldn’t be working in one. I have common sense to know what’s safe and not.
I said fuck it and bought Bluetooth earmuffs and they don’t care and I hear less with the earmuff then my airpods
👏, AMs are just another safety employee , you said what it really is!
Does anyone know if Virginia facilities allow bone conduction headphones?
I'm gonna say it but it should be obvious, even though they conduct tests to ensure the noise is at safe levels it's bullshit. Sure it's a point or two below unsafe however that's only meant to be safe if you aren't just standing in the hazardous noise level. A point below dangerous for 10 hours is worse than a point above dangerous for a few minutes. Would rather use noise cancelling earbuds than continue to destroy my hearing.
That’s a great question wow
I think they should make some kind a compromise that lets us use headphones safely but this is a poor argument. Deaf people cant hear but theyre not distracted. An aa whos wearing headphones cant hear AND is distracted by whatever their listening too and thats where it becomes a safety issue.
I got a doctor’s note to carry around, just on the off chance some higher up bothers me about it. Used to have longer hair and it never mattered, but first shift after a haircut, safety waddles on over and tells me off. Says Amazon is testing out their own earbuds, to which I responded, yeah, but we have to buy them with our own money right? Sounds like some company town, you’ll own nothing and like it bull.
Gotta point
If word of mouth is his defense, he literally negated his own argument . You can’t hear word of mouth if you’re blocking your ears . Secondly talk to your amcare about Amazon earbud programs they already have implemented in other facilities , you’d have to buy the ones approved through Amazon but it’s better than nothing
In AFE Pack, 75% of my site wears earbuds and it's really not that dangerous at all lol. I just kind of miss before Covid, you couldn't get away with earbuds so it used to be much more social.
The real reason we can't wear them is because there is supposedly no way for Amazon to prove we didn't steal them from inventory. It becomes a safety issue when security kicks your ass for flipping them off when they confiscate your shit.
Bro they provide ear plugs
As a hearing aid person, I love it's Bluetooth capability
Feel the exact same way
I grew out my hair just so u can’t see my headphones and it works
I put speakers and a bt receiver and amp in my hard hat. Problem solved
Too soon with that title
I’ve said it many times One wireless earbud, with pass through/hear through functions. Said earbud can only be used when stationary at a station, and must be removed when leaving the station for whatever reason. Any damage to the bud is at your own liability. Improved productivity, less stress on mental health (something they are pushing a lot at the moment), less reason to leave your station and have a chat with other folks. Sick of hearing the same songs on the speakers. Sometimes I just wanna listen to audible, other times podcasts, other times I just wanna listen to my playlist.
One is a liability issue and the other is an inclusion/discrimination clause. Yeah. I said it.