Amazon adjusts 'time off task' policy that critics said limited bathroom breaks (2024)

FAQs

Are Amazon employees allowed bathroom breaks? ›

California Passes Bill to Ensure Amazon Workers Can Take Bathroom Breaks. Amazon and other companies enforce quotas that often push warehouse employees to skip breaks in order to “make rate.”

Are people who work at Amazon actually denied toilet breaks? No. For a regular eight hour work day a meal break is required after four hours and a fifteen minute break is required every two hours. You pee at break time.

Workers have argued that the time off task policy makes working conditions more strenuous and that it's used as a tool to surveil workers. Amazon in 2021 adjusted its time off task policy so that it averages data over a longer period.

15-minute breaks and 30-minute lunches. 15 min breaks, 30 min lunches if you are full time.

Key Facts. The lawsuit, filed Monday in a Denver state court, alleges Amazon's working conditions forced drivers in Colorado to urinate in bottles and defecate in bags inside the delivery trucks and refrain from using the bathroom “at risk of serious health consequences.”

Under OSHA sanitation standards, employers must: Permit workers to leave their work area to use the restroom as needed.

OSHA sanitation standards require all U.S. employers to: Allow employees to leave their workstations to use the restroom as needed. Refrain from imposing unreasonable restrictions on restroom use.

If an employer puts any restrictions on employee access to toilet facilities, such as locking the doors and requiring the employees to ask and sign out a key, the restriction must be reasonable, and may not cause extended delays.

This is where conversation could be most helpful. Not anything accusatory but a simple inquiry saying something like you noticed these breaks, and you're wondering if you might be able to help. If the person's job is in jeopardy because of excessive breaks, be honest. Speak in a way that does not cause an HR incident.

Video surveillance: Amazon uses video cameras to monitor activity in its warehouses, both for security purposes and to ensure workers are following proper procedures. Tracking software: Amazon uses software to monitor the time workers spend on breaks, as well as to track their attendance and punctuality.

Does Amazon treat their employees poorly? ›

Amazon warehouse workers have previously complained that the company's pace of work prevents them from taking adequate bathroom and rest breaks, and leads to unfair disciplinary actions. Workplace safety issues are one of several catalysts behind a recent spike in organizing efforts among Amazon employees.

For example, in the United States, Amazon provides paid 15-minute breaks for shifts of four hours or more, and 30-minute breaks for shifts of more than six hours. However, it's worth noting that break policies can vary depending on the location and the specific job.

California Rest Break Requirements

If you work at least 3.5 hours in a day, you are entitled to one rest break. If you work over 6 hours, you are entitled to a second rest break. If you work over 10 hours, you are entitled to a third rest break.

In California, labor laws mandate that employers provide employees with a day of rest during each workweek. Specifically, employees generally cannot work more than six consecutive days in a week.

Employers may not impose unreasonable restrictions on restroom use, and employees should not take an excessive amount of time during bathroom breaks. A worker's need to access the restroom can depend on several factors, including fluid intake, air temperature, medical conditions and medications.

"The survey data indicate that how Amazon designs its processes — including extensive monitoring and the rapid pace of work — are contributing to a considerable physical and mental health toll, including injuries, burnout and exhaustion," Beth Gutelius, research director at CUED and a co-author of the study, said in a ...

"If you worked at Amazon, you know what TOT stands. for...Time Off Task. If you are 'Off Task' for more than. 5 min, a supervisor can fire you." This is during 12 hour shifts with two 15 min breaks.