In a recent piece by Vice News, they follow a couple who do Amazon Flex for a living. The couple who are apparently both over 60 years old, with a big clean house, two dogs, and a two car garage are really struggling!
Sorry… That was a bit of sarcasm. Vice News decided they wanted to jump on the “Amazon is bad” bandwagon and start the piece off with this big caption:
Is it though?
“We started a year ago, and it saved our lives.”
It literally saved their lives. Jeff Bezos should win a Nobel prize. Jokes aside, Vice News did a good job capturing the essence of Amazon Flex. Bringing up complaints that many drivers have had for a long time.
“They’re making it harder for people to get blocks”
While we sympathize with her sentiment, the statement simply isn’t true. Many drivers have reported that it’s easier for them to get blocks with the recent changes. Amazon Support has stated that these changes are to “provide a better experience for drivers to view and accept offers”.
No Benefits and Expenses:
Flex drivers have to cover their own car maintenance and gas. There’s no benefits like health insurance and it can be difficult to get consistent hours. Is this what qualifies Amazon Flex as “a disaster for workers”. Unlikely, if Amazon Flex was such a disaster, the blocks wouldn’t be so competitive. Drivers are aware of the expenses and lack of benefits when they sign up for the program.
The Trade Off:
Work when you want. No disgruntled overworked boss barking orders at you. Be independent and make good money. The truth is, Amazon Flex is lucrative for workers. This is why routes are in such high demand. It’s not perfect and I’ll agree, some aspects of it are disastrous.
The Real Disasters:
- Getting blamed for missing packages
- Poorly planned routes
- Apartment deliveries
- Unrealistic expectations
We’ve covered all these things in articles here and how to remedy them.
Amazon is Bad Bandwagon:
It’s time to stop. Amazon has employed over 500,000 people. Indeed, some of these people are not happy with their job and others love it. You can’t please all of the people all of the time.
Message to the media:
Please stop with the “Amazon is Bad” and “Jeff Bezos is Really Rich” new pieces. We’ve heard enough. Go talk with the actual workers. For many Amazon Flex is a blessing. While unsatisfactory in many aspects, the program is always improving.
