tonight on panorama we go behind the click
to expose what happens when you buy from the world's biggest online retailer.
The level pressure on people is just incredible.
I've never seen anything like it
home to cover at Amazon the job that pushes workers to the limit
a job where every second counts
with workers racing a computerized clock
Even when the lights don't work
a workplace that could damage your health
the characteristics this time picture
the evidence increased risk of mental illness
the big Christmas shop is changing
there's been a revolution in the way we tried
every year we do more and more shopping
online shopping
is not something we can do on our on our laptops
or no homes the physical side custom by all the people
we don't see that anymore and one company
has led the way the biggest online retailer
on the planet how much your Christmas shopping with the mom isn't
girls
about people two percent
my liking she's quick and easy to
to do easy and
trustworthy 60 and have become injured or sick as well
promise in used to sell only books but now you can buy
virtually anything cheap and efficient from
click to your door who wouldn't want that
and is in is an amazing company from our perspective because despite the fact
that it turned over $61 billion dollars in revenue last year
is still continuing to grow at a phenomenal rate seems to be nothing
happens in
is unable to sell because had a really strong business model and a really
strong customer base
well this is where your click
becomes real most what you choose on the site
is stored in a series of warehouses so when you buy on Amazon
just one click black click lands here
when Obama's enormous distribution centers and inside
someone's got to go and find the thing you just bought
I'm there are 8 these warehouses across the UK
the cover nearly five million square feet
that this time of year Amazon employs around 20,000 people
but the unions have been complaining about the working conditions
the level of a
pressure on people is just incredible a minute I've never seen anything like it
independently we spoke to more than 30 former workers
if you were positive but wouldn't be filmed most were critical this job
doesn't compare to any other job second
you ask it's much more press in place I beat
its Kristen place to work at the same require
area is ok feel my system it's a big dog food place
you know people just in lines and lines lifting robots
the only way to go but times a is it I had nothing left
amazon says its proud of providing a safe and positive workplace
than that these descriptions don't reflect the views of the vast majority
of its employees
what we want to find out what it's like in sight
by going undercover so we took advice Chris
used to work as a security guard for Amazon
disasters to hide his face in disguise his voice he says getting a hidden
camera inside will be hard
to prevent theft there's CCTV
and workers have to regularly walks through airport-style security
whenever you do leave you've got your airport scanners
you also get random searches so you sending somebody in there
all I can say to answer good luck I doubt very much if you're getting up
with any a
footage to be honest I think I'll be confiscated a quite quickly
so good looking up this
is the man who's going to try to check out Amazon
Adam littler is a 23-year-old graduate
keep himself fit and he's done manual work before
when I worked in is factories warehouses
and to in these manual jobs I found for they are
been physically demanding bull its them in any more than
you know expected so it's
years not been an issue
he's got a job at Amazon through an agency
we think we found a way to smuggle our secret camera past security
wherein
this is the Swansea warehouse 800,000 square feet of storage
his job is is a pic /a he collects what we buy from the miles shelving
This beep controls his working life.
The handset tells Adam what to collect and put on
his strongly
that gives him a set number of seconds to find each product
the screen counting down the counter
for the first month before we started the secret filming
Adam worked on the day shift we gave him a wristband the measures his mileage
I've too much in my walking to the easing
this respond I'm its told me the iPhone just short
six miles today later and then get sports on the night shift
this means his pay goes up from six pounds fifty
to eight pounds $25 an hour its four shifts a week
they attended a half hours long with an hour break
the trolley is heavy and he's really feeling the strain
homes ok
items are stored on four floors the cart
troubles in a lift Adam must take the stairs
and on the night shift is mileage is increasing
Adam is finding it exhausting I E
-2 walk hopeful I'm
nearly eleven miles just sure 11 miles
last night yeah I'm
absolutely shattered and my beat
are the thing this bother me the most
honest
up
today close this troubled really
because I've throws for the bookstore sylmar feeds
I'm missin says new recruits are warned some jobs are physically demanding
they say some workers seek these positions as they enjoy the active
nature of the work
there are all the issues inside
the lights are activated by motion sensors
they don't always work that means Adam
is sometimes working in the dark
court
choice
and even in the dark his scanner is still counting down the seconds
it happens regularly but am isn't old is there are thousands of lights in their
senses
indication the false develop which they were quickly to fix
I met up with Adam after a shift
he says he's exhausted because the work is non-stop
you know if you're watching this at home with my thing was a really good system
you worked
every minute every shift you
we should expect to work our team put the effort
temple its just the added pressure there's a lot of walking involved
the car gets very heavy is quite quite agree on the border
so Adams finding the ten and a half hour night shifts hard
the experts we consulted say you shouldn't even be doing them
if the work involved heavy physical
or mental strain van that nine workers should not work
more than eight hours in any 24-hour period
the basis for that is to protect the rights
and interests of the employees that could put Amazon in breach of the
Working Time Regulations
but Amazon told as its night shift is lawful they saw two expert advice to
ensure the ship's
comply with all relevant legal requirements
just down the road in Cardiff poll came
runs a very different kind of warehouse he sells books
wholesale online and through his own shops
the staff here have a similar job to Adam
and Paul has to get the best from in a small business
everybody pulls together if they're falling behind because we're busy
in the shop for their help now a I wouldn't let them into the ground
0 polls business is struggling
and that's partly due to the rise of Amazon we looking at the new Alex
Ferguson
biography things been the fastest selling non-fiction
a hardback and their not we want that's good for you is now trying to sell his
books on Amazon
Amazon allows all the retailers to sell through their site
giving them greater exposure but they have to pay
15 percent commission Paul says become much Amazon's price is
agency Amazon on the top Syrian 12-pound
on and we don't let's see why not come
them when to sry 456
down while in lebanon swell the 40
15-16 at fifteen pounds $42
but if you're walking three pounds more expensive than Amazon River the top of
the list
how many copies for you sell I might not have any on there
Amazon has undoubtedly change the industry
they've lowered prices and a trusted by millions of shoppers
0 its grim for you
isn't good for consumers because they now can get much cheaper books
bottom line probably a lot of people would think
yes they are benefiting from it to push the price down
and on
the British taxpayer has helped Amazon build its business in the UK
0 the Scottish Government awarded Amazona granted 6.8 million pounds
ok in return for the promise have 1700 jobs
and the Welsh Government awarded Amazon
a grounds have 8.8 million towards the warehouse where adam has been working
and that's not all this road
shows how much effort was made to gamers in to come to South Wales
when I was in were considering this site they said
look we're gonna need a road and their Welsh Assembly Government said
fine will build your own and 4.9
million pounds later trucks are on the road
which is called Ford Amazon in Welsh which for the rest of us
is Amazon way on
the Welsh Assembly says the investment was worthwhile
because it will create 1200 jobs in Swansea
an Amazon toler's it's invested more than a billion pounds
and created 5,000 permanent jobs across the UK
back in the warehouse Adam is struggling
his targeted is to pick a hundred and ten items per hour
that's nearly $2 a minute the scanner
shows in how he's getting old
tonight
hope is working hard but he rarely reaches his targets
he thinks the world
used
world
well
for cured
Press
every time Adam scans a wrong item the handset lets him know
happens regularly
the beeping is starting to get under his skin
it up
last night I had trouble falling asleep because
the beeping sounds that the Scottish make I'm
we who is going going off in my head up
the scanner allows managers to see how fast
adam has been picking over the last few weeks so
of jim was 18 some workers talk it up
time K so it and sent two percent to talk
my smile see u 373 Co expects
out to the site they are yes more heat than 100 percent
sonya should in my opinion should be about 205
100 timeout should be on offer
Adams not the only worker who seems to be struggling to meet targets
a
you know
okay became okay
like do you think a I can only fight right
you've got to rely on I'm a couple really good pics
could not disclose up I do think it's possible that
like Rep
amazon says productivity targets assets objectively
based on previous performance levels achieved by the workforce
most people in the warehouse seem to have targets
like the shelf stuff
tough targets as of: 19 psyches
she Jul know them
company come politically the claims its
home yet guns and shoot for those 10 hours
we r basically machines we all move arts
you know weep logos comments and behold the netbook Muslim
plugging into ourselves no we don't we don't think for ourselves
either don't know maybe they don't trust us to think for ourselves
as human beings I don't know hitting targets matters
if you miss them you can face disciplinary action
cool
I'll ask you to
but by to another with low
he was picking an item on average every 37 seconds
Amazon want him to be four seconds quicken he withhold
gold
on another shift adam asks a different manager what will happen if he doesn't
speed up
if you like them consistently hit the target on all from
those I'll is guess I was thinking of going to sock
you of public is a St tickle like six weeks
you get them Google counseling for example approximately
I am Eastern former name a casket
calling after eyesight of course many companies have performance targets
an amazon says only to its 5,000 permanent employees
have been sacked for poor productivity this year but Amazon wouldn't tell us
how many
temporary workers like Adam were affected
he's found it a tough job with tough targets
but could it also be bad for Adams health
it professor at Michael Marmot
is an expert on stress at work well
the exhibition
yet it's kinda will start counting down on the screen to get cinemax
cation counting down giving you a time here
so the literally against the clock for
each stage that the journey it's telling you
helm to get to the next location
here account styled
use compromised lee sucks so what does professor mama think I've what he's
saying
what we know about work means
suggests that the area's time mentions the work environment
bad for Hells and its almost as if
what I just heard has taken the mall all of them
had distilled them into
a short sharp shock and said he %ah
his all the bad stuff all at once did
professor moment has no doubt that working like this
can be bad for your health a job where you have little control
butter under pressure can be a dangerous combination
the characteristics and this type of job
the evidence ships increased risk
mental illness and fiscal us amazon says staff safety is its number one priority
and officials safety inspections have not raised concerns
an independent expert appointed by Amazon said the job
isn't unusual and does not increase the risk of mental and physical illness
but any kind of sickness at Amazon can come at a price
the company operated disciplinary system based on points
after was told if you got three points bb5
a day off for illness and you one point even going home sick
gets a half a point is a fraud afternoon wrong answer
and pick up points Tyler at
go I'm bout of I Fisher have been following up eyeball
on about I your I threw my back up
i'ma see the point black sixth want to build up
three points wanna put up if you want at one point that's
born in two points final on and in the third point is
you know people
amazon says only 11 if its permanent employees have been dismissed for
attendance this year
in the system they use is fair and predictable
back in the warehouse
Adams picking up disciplinary points being late
costs half a point and Adams been late twice
but then he's told there's another late he didn't know about
whose same spot
by two minutes
thing you know about of time over get away with it
so
for being two minutes late he's got another half a point
it's getting more serious he has one and a half points
right
along with three cool
the points will be cleared from his record after three months
but even if Adam doesn't reached three points might not keep his job
Amazon is taking on 15,000 temporary workers for Christmas
Adams told after the holidays those with the worst records Wilco
I'll school year
Co
called they got it
been told like fun to
isn't is no general aired out
for the last its
organization justice it's not my boss
is a writer and treats me badly these unfair to me it's not that
it's the sense that the way the organization is structured
is unjust and is injustice
up Amazon strongly denies exploiting its workers
or dismissing them without good reason it says it's created
2300 new permanent positions
but simply cannot retain 15,000 seasonal workers
up
local book trade a poll came is still struggling to compete
today he's closing his shop in Monmouth
it's the 7th East closed in the last five years
shot will close a
the next 30 minutes tonight we'll stop take the shop
and tomorrow cover my lights will be up
I will pack every go away so
the difficult emotional I'm
something you wanna go through is often arrive at two over the past five years
that's ok I thanks for all the support
you know we tried so yes it's a sad day
that's thanks again for everything
all good things come to an end
cool
difficult
back in the warehouse adam has told his manages about his blisters
is being moved to a picking jobs that involves less walking
but it's still more than six miles a night would be right and a bust
Kandu last couple hours started hips
accurate about
to go there is for everybody school on this job he works
a smaller area but has higher targets he's hitting them some love the time
points and unique really gonna hockey 26
aka targets tournament and coca should
probably on of we butts
he always tires as the shift wears on his pic Great Falls
the managers can see it 151
of far
so yeah entire yeah same
Sherwin Stowers yeah plus a couple hours talk
I am tracked wrong answer
time
as like last go the
the ha on another shift
Adam feels unwell so has to go home that's another disciplinary offence
and another half a point so when he comes in for his neck shift
he's up to two points that means a final warning
stocked up on a constant
point
feel better have it name
site
yes
Sep
I dampen price Rs yep
Adams now back on the two for ships
his own two points and has a final warning
we think he's seen enough and he resigns for Adam
life behind the click was heart
like a lot of people I'm used to arm is in
hours costumer months convenience and brights
so I saw for if I was going to go work for the company
it would so be a hoppy positive place boy
seems to be and the complete opposite squamous
it's not not like any other job of time before
up but
poll came the Cardiff book trader is trying to fight back
tonight is the launch party Paul has got his own website
long-overdue a
a dream I sensed if you like to own
I think we should kick it together I just a
to launch it goal I'm ok
will be able to be more competitive with license
I S fifty percent the Amazon
we can use to stop box a bit more but it's a free games
can't beat em join em there's no doubt
amazon has forced the competition to change
they've told us they rely on the good judgment of thousands of employees
together where working hard to make sure where better tomorrow
than we are today what certainly true
is from click to delivery they're cheap and efficient
but does that efficiency come at a price for workers
this is happening in our backyard this is happening in this country
and thus been seduced by getting a couple pounds of product
you go to of yourself what price are we paying
now if you say to me yeah but they're always going to be menial jobs
of course but we can make them better or worse
and it seems to me that denounces efficiency
at the cost all individual's health and well-being
it's gonna be balanced
millions overs will be buying presents on Amazon over the next couple of weeks
the Amazon click has made a Christmas easier
and given as more time but the fetching and carrying hasn't gone away
it's just being done by someone else
working hard and up against the clock
next week the billion pound question
how safe is our rage mode we investigate what happens to cash
that should be saving lives
blackmail and corruption in the highest a place is next on bbc1 has read and
check some
don't see eye to eye on purpose tree
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