Three Amazon delivery drivers, including an Iraq War veteran, said they were forced to urinate in bottles and defecate in poop bags to meet the company’s demands.
A proposed class action lawsuit filed last week in Denver, Colorado accuses Amazon of subjecting its employees to “inhumane” working conditions that resulted in them going to the bathroom inside delivery vans.
The plaintiffs say they took extreme measures to ensure they did not face disciplinary action for falling behind with their deliveries.
In addition, “the delivery people often refrained from using the toilet at the risk of serious health consequences”, according to the 16 pages document.
“Amazon enforces this system through strict work quotas and elaborate workplace tracking and monitoring technology that prevents Amazon delivery drivers from meeting basic human needs while on the job,” the report says. trial.
Three Amazon drivers have filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming they were unable to take restroom breaks for fear of being disciplined
The lawsuit accuses the company of violating Colorado state law, which requires employers to give workers paid breaks every four hours.
He says the company’s delivery expectations are unattainable if drivers go off route for toilet breaks and that drivers are penalized if they don’t keep up.
The suit adds, “Near where Amazon delivery drivers end their delivery shifts, the trash cans are full of urine-filled bottles, as are the trash cans at gas stations near the facilities. Amazon.
“Amazon delivery vans often smell of urine as bottles full of urine often spill onto the floor of the vehicle.”
Plaintiff Ryan Schilling, an Iraq War veteran, claims he was forced to defecate into a dog poop bag in the back of the delivery van. The suit states that Schilling “often had more difficulty finding the time to attend to his basic human needs while working as an Amazon DSP pilot in Colorado than he did while serving in active combat. for the U.S. Army.
Schilling said he was sometimes required to make more than 200 stops a day and deliver more than 500 packages, with each stop only expected to take between two and five minutes.
Marco Granger-Rivera, another complainant, claims he had to urinate in a bottle “every day” while working for Amazon. The suit states that on a few occasions he “was about to urinate and defecate in his pants.”
A third plaintiff, Lea Cross, claims her “typical female anatomy” made it harder to urinate in a battle at work, which violates Colorado’s anti-discrimination law.
Cross said she received calls telling her she had taken the wrong route when she tried to find restrooms along her delivery route. She claims supervisors repeatedly asked her where she was and if she had gotten lost.
On one occasion, she was allegedly “reprimanded” by a supervisor who “told her not to interrupt her route.” In another era, she would have been told to buy a Shewee – a plastic funnel that makes it easier for women to urinate on the go.
Cross was fired for failing to meet the delivery schedule.
The plaintiffs also accused Amazon of violating Colorado wage law by not paying them for their missed breaks.
One of the complainants claims she was told to buy a Shewee – a plastic funnel that makes it easier for women to urinate on the go
While Amazon drivers are employed by “delivery service partners,” the company “must accept Amazon’s control over nearly every aspect of its business,” according to the lawsuit.
Amazon denied the lawsuit allegations in a statement to DailyMail.com on Monday.
“We want to make it clear that we encourage our delivery service partners to support their drivers.” said spokeswoman Simone Griffin.
‘This includes giving drivers the time they need for breaks between stops, providing a list in the Amazon Delivery app of nearby restrooms and gas stations, and scheduling time on routes to use toilets or take longer breaks.
The plaintiffs are asking for unspecified unpaid wages, penalties, and a change in Amazon’s policies.
Amazon has faced similar charges before and in 2021 apologized after denying a lawmaker’s claim that company employees are forced to urinate in bottles.
“We know that drivers can and do have difficulty finding toilets because of traffic or sometimes rural roads, and this was particularly the case during Covid when many public toilets were closed,” the company said. in a blog post.
“This is a long-standing industry-wide issue and not specific to Amazon. We’ve included some links below that address the issue.
“Regardless of it being industry-wide, we would like to resolve it. We don’t know how yet, but we will look for solutions.
