Amazon’s ‘ZenBooths’ a ‘slap in the face’ to stressed warehouse workers told to think happy thoughts
NY Post
Amazon has sought to improve the morale of its stressed-out warehouse workers and reduce injuries by setting up so-called “ZenBooths” — interactive kiosks that are billed as “mindful practice rooms,” according to reports.
A warehouse employee at the Seattle-based e-tailing giant founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos leaked a screenshot of a meditation and wellness guide from the company that encourages workers to “close your eyes and think about something that makes you happy.”
The screenshot — which also shows a timer at the top right corner of the screen, saying “Repeat until timer ends” and showing 10 seconds left — was leaked by a worker at one of the company’s fulfillment centers, where pay was recently increased to between $17 and $28 an hour.
Amazon in recent years has come under fire from worker advocates for conditions at warehouses, where some employees have reported that they were forced to urinate in bottles and forgo bathroom breaks because of the breakneck pace and the demands of the job.
“I mean it honestly felt like a slap in the face,” the employee told 404 Media. “It’s the sort of disconnected corporate platitude that is so obviously out of touch with reality.”
The screenshot shows a guide to a practice called “savoring,” which is part of a wellness and meditation regimen that Amazon rolled out in 2021 titled “Working Well,” which was designed to cut down on workplace injuries by improving employees’ state of mind.
