Amazon said on Tuesday it terminated two employees, who criticized the working conditions at the e-commerce giant's warehouses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, for "repeatedly violating internal policies".
Francis Maguire reports.
Amazon fires two employees critical of working conditions
Amazon said Tuesday (April 14) it had fired two employees who criticized working conditions at its warehouses during the coronavirus outbreak.
Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa worked as user-experience designers in Seattle.
They had both argued it was unsafe to work at the warehouses during the pandemic.
Amazon said it supported rights to criticize employers, but it "did not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies".
The firings came just weeks after Amazon fired warehouse worker Christian Smalls in New York.
Smalls had also raised health and safety concerns for people working through the outbreak.
The online giant and other retailers have been criticised over work conditions for delivery and gig workers in the U.S. Many large delivery firms - including Amazon, IKEA and Nordstrom - have kept warehouses open through the pandemic.
They have exploited loopholes in the U.S. government's stay-home order designed to ensure the flow of necessities - and are considered "essential business".
Some firms have brought in temperature checks for employees.
Nordstrom said its online operations have kept its business afloat - and ensured their employees' livelihoods for the long term.
But for many warehouse workers - who often have few benefits or sick time - safety measures don't go far enough, and they now face a stark choice between their health and a paycheck.