Workers at Amazon Warehouse don't get paid for Screening when they leave. thoughts?

From what I read, employees are required to go through a security screening that checks to make sure they aren't stealing anything after they punch out. Spending up to 30 minutes waiting in line.

To me anything required by an employer should be paid.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-02/security-checks-paid-as-work-supreme-court-will-decide#r=hpt-ls

 

They should get paid for them standing in line while waiting to leave.

 

I thought it was a no brainer. They are liking it to getting checked when walking into secured public buildings. I'm sure Amazon has no incentive to make sure those screenings go quickly or properly staffed if they aren't footing any bills for the employees time.

 

Must have a pretty high theft problem.

 

IMO, if the employer requires them to be screen than the employer should pay them. Otherwise, don't make it required and let each employee decide if they want to wait without pay to be screened.

 

That should be illegal. Anything requiring to stay at work for requirements they have put in place (even as security measures) requires compensation. Point blank period. Corporations doing this kind of crap makes them all look bad.

 

The legal precedent is whether or not the time spent is "integral and indispensable” to the principal activities workers are paid to do. Almost no workers are paid for the time they spend commuting to and from work. However, if they argue that the company requires them to be searched before leaving as part of (or in order to keep) their jobs then they might have grounds for getting paid.

Do workers who must undergo drug tests get paid for the time they spend being drug tested? If so, then I'd say that the courts should rule that the Amazon employees should also be paid. If not, then the ruling might go the other way.

If they just put the time clocks on the other side of the security check the issue would solve itself. However, to big companies like Amazon, every half hour they don't have to pay a worker adds up to big bucks at the end of the quarter. They obviously think the money saved is worth the price of lawyers and court costs. It will be interesting to see how the courts rule.

 

Amazon opened a new distribution center in Lebanon Tennessee earlier this year. I would imagine that those employees are not being paid to be searched either. I hope Amazon has to back pay each employee overtime pay.

 

Find another job?
From a historical standpoint to today's Amazon Army,Amazon has become a fantastic place to work due to the allotted benefits and pay. It seems over the years things have changed in favor of the employee at Amazon. It seems like a well paying legitimate job for many.
Employed at Amazon and waiting in line > Standing in the unemployment line. Just thinking outloud.

 

The employees will win this one, hands down! Non-exempt employees get paid for work required activities, such as changing into work required clothing (food plants) travel time when clocking in at a separate location then working elsewhere, on-call, paid break if you are on-call during break. This is no different. Similar suits have already been ruled in favor of the employees. I'm surprised Amazon even attempted this. They're set up for a huge financial hit (sell your stock). Back pay and lost business, and right before Christmas! What are they thinking?

 

This almost makes me not want to shop Amazon at all. I have a problem with a company who has ethical and moral issues with something as simple as paying their employees time where payment is due.

 

Agree 100%

I get paid while I drug test. I agree on the moving the time clocks, I'm guessing that would make the company find some way to expidite the screening process.

As far as cummute times, I get NOT being paid for that...the company doesn't tell me where to live or how long it should take me to get to work. OTOH, I wonder if the employees just skipped the screening process would they be some how disciplined. If so, than they abosolutely should be compensated...then again, if they're not on the clock what could the company say???

I'm with you. I work in TN (live in Mississippi) and work with several guys from TN. This has been a topic of conversation for a while with us.

Can't agree with them having to find another job if their Amazon is requiring them to spend time waiting to be screened. It's part of the cost of doing business and Amazon needs to cough up or lose some business.

 

dont ever work for the state if u think this is bad

 

The good thing about situations like this, people who are unhappy with employer policies are always free to seek new opportunities. I spend a lot of time going through security, for other reasons, but I'm getting PAID to do it.

 

Aren't Americans protected against unwarranted search and siezure by the constitution, no company policy trumps constitutional rights I would think.

 

Not completely true. When you punch in a lot of your "rights" are put on hold. You can be searched on their property as well as your vehicle parked on company property. The employees in question are not on the clock. I would think this would fall under "illegal search". Another reason why they will win this.

 

If you knew all the shady stuff they did you wouldn't buy from them. This is nothing compared to what they do to their own sellers.

I'd get more in depth but then this thread would disappear like the last one I started on them did.

I refuse to buy from them.

 

Should be, but there are a lot of precedents in other jobs where that isn't true. Airline pilots are paid for time flying, not time spent walkaround inspecting the airplane or filing flight plans, etc. Teachers are paid for time in classroom, not preparing lessons, etc. Most Amazon workers probably factor the extra 0.5 hr in their pay calculations and decide whether it's better or worse than alternative jobs.

 

Laws vary state by state. I worked in PA the past 15 years and now NJ. Two opposites when it comes to workers rights.

 

Since Florida has some of the worst labor laws, Amazon is opening a new distribution center in Ruskin. So while I get to pay tax on top of shipping, Amazon enjoys the slave labor of Florida. It's no secret that Ruskin has a lot of indigent and illegal alien workers.
Think about that the next time you order anything from them.