this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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Corporate employees of Amazon were asked on Monday to volunteer their time to the company’s warehouses to assist with grocery delivery as it heads into its annual discount spree known as Prime Day.

In a Slack message reviewed by the Guardian that went to thousands of white-collar workers in the New York City area from engineers to marketers, an Amazon area manager called for corporate “volunteers to help us out with Prime Day to deliver to customers on our biggest days yet”. It is not clear how many took up the offer.

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[–] Bosht@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

I remember when, on heavy days and holidays, you'd get bonuses. Fuck Amazon

[–] Tire@lemmy.ml 17 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Does anyone actually care about Prime Day? Isn’t it a bunch of cheap crap that’s marked up then “down”?

[–] j0ester@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

4K 34-inch OLED Alienware monitor for $550 on Prime Day. Originally $1100. Only thing I care for.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

A lot of it is, with a few discounts. I've never found anything useful in it though.

[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

It's their e-waste dumping day.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago

They do that to a degree but its uaully still discounted, just not as much as you think. I work in a store that price matches amazon and we had to resticker 20 times as many products as on a normal day.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 17 points 2 days ago

I would never volunteer one unpaid minute for any employer. I don't see them volunteering any money because your personal life is going through a rough patch.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Any time a corporation uses the term "volunteer", something very fishy is likely going on.

[–] j0ester@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Look at all these volunteers! Why should I pay people?

[–] Ikarius@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

"No, no, they're not slaves. They're highly skilled workers with short-term contracts. And they even get food.". This is how I see it.

[–] RadioFreeArabia@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If you work without pay that's slavery

[–] slate@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

They're paid a salary, which is probably significantly more than what drivers are paid.

[–] iknowitwheniseeit@lemmynsfw.com 10 points 2 days ago

Labor is labor. Stay united, comrades!

[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Generally this kind of thing would be overtime, though.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Salary workers are exempt from overtime in most cases and its legal to fire them for not working extra hours voluntarily, at least in America.

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 130 points 3 days ago (3 children)

And here’s a reminder that it’s actually illegal to volunteer at the same company you’re employed at. Specifically to prevent situations exactly like this, where employers attempt to pressure their employees into volunteering, so they don’t have to pay overtime. If you’re working for your employer, you’re required to be on the clock.

Given, that only works if the rules are actually enforced. And this administration has done a good job of dismantling agencies that would be enforcing this.

[–] 3abas@lemmy.world 30 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Easy, you're a salaried employee and "seasonal duty: light warehouse work"

Boom, it's part of your job.

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (5 children)

There are specific requirements for being exempt from overtime, even for salaried employees. There are three big exemptions, and each one has multiple requirements; You need to meet ALL of the requirements for any exemption in order to be legally exempt. I’d advise you to check the requirements here, because employers regularly misclassify workers and lie through their teeth about it to avoid paying OT. Intentional misclassification is one of the most overt ways that employers steal wages, but also extremely common in many industries.

Also, there’s a blue-collar clause that says all manual labor positions are non-exempt. So if they’re dumb enough to write manual labor into your job description, you’re non-exempt no matter how highly paid you are.

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[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 150 points 3 days ago

Let's see Mr and Mrs Bezos out there volunteering first. It's a wholesome honeymoon activity!

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

That's until the Amazon robots take the jobs and staff are downsized https://www.wsj.com/tech/amazon-warehouse-robots-automation-942b814f

[–] thatradomguy@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago (7 children)

I thought we were boycotting bezos? Why are people still buying on Amazon?

Because we are in the smallest minority of people that care enough to change our shopping habits or willingly pay more for something to avoid Amazon.

I know literally nobody in real life that shares my views and most will think I’m a weirdo for being so vocal about avoiding certain companies, taking part in boycotts, or protesting.

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[–] justanothermonkey@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

The best part of this is that with how scarce jobs are getting, these corpos are going to start incentivizing folks to do this kind of shit by "laying off" workers who won't stand for this. Like you get brownie points for doing free work and in turn get a little more job security. Think about it, if you won't do it - someone else will, and people need jobs. Man fuck those people.

[–] Pistcow@lemmy.world 89 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Would somebody please think of the billionaires!?

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[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 22 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Is Amazon too poor to pay their employees now?

Well did you see that wedding? That shit don't pay for itself.

[–] orenj@lemmy.sdf.org 19 points 2 days ago (1 children)

why would anyone volunteer to do amazon warehouse work

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 days ago

Desperate fear of termination. There's like a 5% chance this will help.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 35 points 3 days ago (1 children)

One of the core rule of business is that you don't sell what you do not have. Because that is basivally the definition of fraud (at least one of them).

If you don't have the manpower to deliver "Prime Day", don't offer "Prime Day", as simple as that.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 15 points 3 days ago

Dude. Like half of our GDP is about selling shit that we pretend exists.

[–] LeninsOvaries@lemmy.cafe 28 points 3 days ago

I'll volunteer some more work if you volunteer some more pay

[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago (4 children)

volunteer to cover our glorious CEO's wedding costs and be a part of history!

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[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 40 points 3 days ago

The funniest thing about this is that Prime day is a "holiday" of their own making. It's not like it's the Christmas push caused by consumers.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago

Hey, that's socialism.

[–] chunes@lemmy.world 20 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Corporate people should spend some time periodically in the trenches anyway. Otherwise, they're totally clueless about how everything works.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago (2 children)
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Like I tell my employer when he asks me for a favour “favours are for friends, you’re not my friend, you’re my employer, pay me”

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 16 points 3 days ago

Um, no dude. You hired me to code your cloud infrastructure. You have an army of delivery people. Leave me alone.

[–] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago

I guess bezos had to recoup his wedding costs. Some that, for him, could be done in the time it took me to write this snark.

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago (5 children)

What kind of brainwashed loser would fall for this

[–] rozodru@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

Plenty. If you've ever worked retail you'd know the answer to this question. the "lifers" will volunteer. You know the types if you've worked in retail. They'll do it thinking it'll look good to some upper manager and allow them to get promoted for simply showing loyalty to the company. The ones who believe and tell you constantly how the company can do no wrong, how great it is to work for said company, and how the company has their best interests in mind.

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[–] altphoto@lemmy.today 9 points 3 days ago

You mean "buy nothing day"? Cuz that's my plan.

[–] FinishingDutch@lemmy.world 24 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Well if it’s voluntary and the staff gets paid their usual wage - one would assume a higher one than the warehouse folks get - I don’t really see the problem. It doesn’t make sense to try and hire folks for just a few days of peak workload. Not if you can manage it by shifting some folks around. Heck, I’m sure some will appreciate the change of scenery.

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[–] bnrnrtbgd@sh.itjust.works 20 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Guys we don't have enough delivery drivers for the holidays. Come on down and "volunteer" or you might just find yourself passed over for future promotions. You might think differently but you're just a disposable peon. The night of the delivery you might feel a slight sting. That's pride fuckin' with you. Fuck pride. Pride only hurts. It never helps. You fight through that shit.

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