In August, Amazon rolled out a new system to help its warehouse workers connect with a human — rather than a chatbot — when they had questions about things like time cards or time off.
Amazon’s goal? Respond to questions within 10 seconds.
For warehouse workers, the COVID-19 pandemic — and the unprecedented number of questions about sick time and corporate polices — exposed flaws in the system that left some workers confused about how or why they were fired, and unable to reach anyone who could fix mistakes. Strict attendance rules, workplace expectations and high injury rates mean warehouse workers are often searching for answers that can be elusive in a network that includes thousands of warehouse associates.
