Amazon workers help to ship roughly 1.6 million packages a day, and that process can be extremely demanding on employees. In fact, recent data found that 1 in 10 Minnesota Amazon workers were injured on the job in 2021, which is 30 percent higher than the national average. Moreover, the injury rate in Amazon warehouses is 1.5 times greater than non-Amazon warehouses in Minnesota. Because of the alarming rate of injuries in Minnesota Amazon warehouses, lawmakers are hoping to pass new laws to help reduce the injury rates and better protect Minnesota workers.
That’s the goal of HF36, which is a bill that was approved by the House Labor and Industry Finance and Police Committee by an 8-4 vote last week. The bill would establish new worker safety requirements for the warehouse industry in Minnesota. It would:
- Require clear communication of quotas to workers;
- Prohibit quota requirements that would deny workers meal, restroom or prayer breaks;
- Affirm workers’ rights to access data related to their productivity and performance.
Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry would investigate potential violations of these standards at warehouses that have shown to have a 30 percent higher injury rate than the industry average.
“All Minnesota workers deserve to be safe and respected at work,” said Rep. Emma Greenman, DFL-Minneapolis, who sponsored the bill. “But here in Minnesota that is not the experience of many workers in Amazon warehouses.”
The bill will now head to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee.
Amazon Warehouse Injuries
It’s clear that more safety measures need to be put in place in Amazon warehouses in Minnesota, as the injury data shows that workers are being treated as disposable assets to burn and churn as needed in order to help build a bigger bottom line for the company. We’ve helped countless warehouse workers get the compensation they deserve if they have suffered an injury while working in one of the many fulfillment warehouses across the state, and we can do the same for you.
If you or someone you know has been injured working in an Amazon warehouse, your best bet is to contact a workers’ compensation attorney to help with your cases. Even if it seems like a straightforward claim, it’s obvious that Amazon will have a plethora of legal resources at their disposal, and they will do everything in their power to reduce their liability, which cuts into your award potential. You need an ally in your corner if you want to maximize your award potential, and you’ll find that in the team at Hey Workers.
We have a wealth of experience standing up for the little guy and getting injured workers the compensation they deserve, and we won’t back down to Amazon or any other major corporation. Even if you’re not sure if you have a case, reach out and we can go over the basics of your claim to see if there is a viable road forward. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by entertaining this conversation, so let us see if we can help.
For more information about collecting a claim against Amazon, or for help with a different warehouse claim, give the team at Hey Workers a call today at (844) 439-9675.
