Amazon Workers in Memphis Are Spooked as Virus Rages in South
Their experience suggests that the world’s largest e-commerce company is still struggling to keep workers safe.
Employees at an Amazon.com Inc. warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee, say the e-commerce giant erred in withdrawing unpaid leave and has failed to ensure their safety just as colleagues fall ill with Covid-19 and the surrounding region suffers an explosion in cases.
Workers at Amazon’s MEM1 facility say managers require them to continue working even when experiencing symptoms. In one case, a worker told human resources he had headaches, a runny nose and loss of smell and taste, according to four people familiar with the matter. The worker got tested that day but kept working for five days until the results came back positive, the people said.