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Business Insider
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Amazon Flex workers' schedules aren't so flexible after all, new report suggests
Amazon's Flex delivery program bills itself as "a flexible way of earning extra money on your own schedule." A new report from a union-backed workers' rights non-profit suggests that's not quite the case. The report, released on Wednesday by the advocacy group National Employment Law Project, points to signs that Amazon Flex workers may not have as much flexibility as Amazon suggests they do. Flex, which Amazon started in 2015, lets gig workers deliver packages for the company using their own vehicles. Maya Pinto, senior researcher and policy analyst at NELP, interviewed between September and May eight Amazon Flex drivers in New Jersey who are organizing. The drivers said they sometimes had trouble working as much as they wanted and on the schedules that they preferred. Two of the Flex workers whom Pinto interviewed said Amazon's app would sometimes prevent them from signing up for more than five hours of work a day, which meant they ended up working less than 40 hours a week, including weekend shifts. The Flex drivers said that they were sometimes locked out of the app after working some shifts. "The app lockouts are really preventing Flex drivers from being free to choose when they want to work," she said. Amazon spokesperson Amber Plunkett told Business Insider that the company hadn't reviewed the report and that it appears to be "another attempt by NELP to intentionally leave out important context in order to fit their own narrative." The group has conducted other worker research and advocacy efforts that have been critical of Amazon and other gig companies. "The fact is, for nearly a decade, Amazon Flex has empowered delivery partners across the country to deliver Amazon packages on their own schedules with competitive earnings," the spokesperson said. Amazon said that the shifts it offers to Flex drivers can vary between weeks, and also due to changes in seasonal demand. Gig workers for apps from Flex to Uber to Instacart often say that the flexibility to work when they want is a major reason that they opt to earn money as independent contractors. The Flex drivers' experience is one example of how gig work may not be as flexible in practice as some workers expect. Ride-hailing drivers, for instance, tend to find that demand for their services is higher during certain times of the day or days of the week, and those times may or may not align with their own availability. As a result, they may have to work outside their preferred hours or earn less than they anticipated. One Flex driver in New Jersey, whom Pinto interviewed for the study, told BI that she frequently checks Flex when she's not working to try to claim shifts that pay around $30 an hour. That's good pay in her area, she said: Other shifts pay closer to $20 an hour. On Reddit, some posters who say that they are Amazon Flex drivers give advice to new drivers on how to claim work. Among their tips: Figure out when shifts drop in your area and be ready to claim them the moment they're available — even if that's early in the morning. Some have also complained about issues with the app. The driver BI spoke with said that she has sometimes been locked out of the app after working shifts for Flex. She said that the lockouts weren't consistent, though, and she wasn't sure what caused them. The driver said she was able to claim more than five hours of work a day for this week, when Amazon is offering four days of sales for Prime Day. Amazon allows Flex workers to claim shifts up to a few days in advance. Amazon Flex is one part of the expanding world of gig work NELP's report points to other conditions that Flex workers face on the job. Amazon measures workers' productivity using several metrics, such as the percentage of packages they deliver on a route. Not all of those performance metrics are always within a Flex driver's control, according to the report. "Long queues and a lack of parking at a delivery station or a glitching Global Positioning System on a driver's smartphone can negatively affect 'on-time arrival,'" the report reads, referring to another metric Amazon uses to evaluate drivers. Amazon uses metrics like on-time arrival to determine a driver's "standing" grade. The grade can, in turn, affect a driver's pay and access to future shifts, according to the report. Amazon told BI that standing doesn't affect how much work a Flex driver can sign up for, and that grade accounts for circumstances outside a driver's control. One of the report's conclusions is that Flex drivers are misclassified as independent contractors. It says they should be considered employees since Amazon's control of their working conditions, such as through metric-based standing, means that they "are not truly in business for themselves like legitimate independent contractors are." Gig workers are generally classified as independent contractors. And gig work continues to expand. Retailers like Walmart and Target also have their own gig workforces picking up and delivering customers' orders. Apps that bring gig work to other industries, such as nursing, have also proliferated. "We're seeing it being used by a lot of different corporations and different industries," Pinto said.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions of workers are getting a raise as new minimum wage laws kick in
Thousands of workers across the country will see their pay increase as new minimum wage laws take effect this month. The minimum wage rose starting July 1 for more than 880,000 workers in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. In D.C., the city's minimum wage increases from $17.50 per hour to $17.95 per hour. A dozen cities and counties, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, are also raising their minimum wage. Nearly 6 in 10 workers who will see a bump are women and nearly half work full-time, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Minimum wage increases are a key to helping people keep up with inflation, which hit a four-decade high of 9.1% in mid-2022 before sliding back to 2.4% recently. 'There's no doubt there is an affordability crisis throughout the country, and these increases will provide needed relief to workers struggling to pay for the basics,' Yannet Lathrop, senior researcher and policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, told Yahoo Finance. 'But more raises are needed, especially at the federal level, where Congress has let the minimum wage languish at $7.25 an hour for more than 15 years." According to EPI's Minimum Wage Tracker, 30 states and D.C. have a higher minimum wage than the federal minimum. Read more: How much of your paycheck should you save? Here's a rundown of the wage hikes this summer: Some of these increases are earmarked for certain sectors. In California, for example, the wage hike is for healthcare sector workers, and the amount depends on the type of facility. The top tier is now a minimum of $24 an hour. In Alaska, the minimum wage jumps from $11.73 to $13 an hour, part of legislation to reach $15 by 2027. In Oregon, depending on the location, wages will increase to $14.05 an hour in non-urban areas, $16.30 an hour in the Portland metro area, and $15.05 in the rest of the state. It's less than a dollar increase per tier. Ten cities and counties in California will see small increases to account for inflation, including Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Francisco: The wage goes to $19.18 an hour, from $18.67. In Chicago, the pay floor goes to $16.60 for businesses with four or more employees, up from $16.20. Three cities in Washington state are due for wage increases based on a business's number of employees: Burien, Everett, and Renton. In many cities, minimum wage is linked to whether or not you also get paid in tips. In some areas, the minimum wage required for tipped employees also increases with the minimum wage. The bulk of pay increases kicked off on Jan. 1 as 21 states and 48 cities raised their minimum wage rates. Some places, however, schedule their changes at another point during the year. For example, Florida's minimum wage will increase $1.00 to $14.00 per hour on Sept. 30. Read more: 5 smart ways to use a raise or year-end bonusAll told, 88 jurisdictions across 23 states were set to see minimum wage hikes by the end of 2025, according to a report by the National Employment Law Project. Those pay raises this year will directly affect more than 3 million workers earning minimum wage and indirectly nudge up pay for more than 6.2 million higher-paid employees because of the domino effects on company pay structures, according to the Economic Policy Institute data. Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist and the author of 14 books, including the forthcoming "Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future," "In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work," and "Never Too Old to Get Rich." Follow her on Bluesky. Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions of workers are getting a raise as new minimum wage laws kick in
Thousands of workers across the country will see their pay increase as new minimum wage laws take effect this month. The minimum wage rose starting July 1 for more than 880,000 workers in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. In D.C., the city's minimum wage increases from $17.50 per hour to $17.95 per hour. A dozen cities and counties, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, are also raising their minimum wage. Nearly 6 in 10 workers who will see a bump are women and nearly half work full-time, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Minimum wage increases are a key to helping people keep up with inflation, which hit a four-decade high of 9.1% in mid-2022 before sliding back to 2.4% recently. 'There's no doubt there is an affordability crisis throughout the country, and these increases will provide needed relief to workers struggling to pay for the basics,' Yannet Lathrop, senior researcher and policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, told Yahoo Finance. 'But more raises are needed, especially at the federal level, where Congress has let the minimum wage languish at $7.25 an hour for more than 15 years." According to EPI's Minimum Wage Tracker, 30 states and D.C. have a higher minimum wage than the federal minimum. Read more: How much of your paycheck should you save? Here's a rundown of the wage hikes this summer: Some of these increases are earmarked for certain sectors. In California, for example, the wage hike is for healthcare sector workers, and the amount depends on the type of facility. The top tier is now a minimum of $24 an hour. In Alaska, the minimum wage jumps from $11.73 to $13 an hour, part of legislation to reach $15 by 2027. In Oregon, depending on the location, wages will increase to $14.05 an hour in non-urban areas, $16.30 an hour in the Portland metro area, and $15.05 in the rest of the state. It's less than a dollar increase per tier. Ten cities and counties in California will see small increases to account for inflation, including Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Francisco: The wage goes to $19.18 an hour, from $18.67. In Chicago, the pay floor goes to $16.60 for businesses with four or more employees, up from $16.20. Three cities in Washington state are due for wage increases based on a business's number of employees: Burien, Everett, and Renton. In many cities, minimum wage is linked to whether or not you also get paid in tips. In some areas, the minimum wage required for tipped employees also increases with the minimum wage. The bulk of pay increases kicked off on Jan. 1 as 21 states and 48 cities raised their minimum wage rates. Some places, however, schedule their changes at another point during the year. For example, Florida's minimum wage will increase $1.00 to $14.00 per hour on Sept. 30. Read more: 5 smart ways to use a raise or year-end bonusAll told, 88 jurisdictions across 23 states were set to see minimum wage hikes by the end of 2025, according to a report by the National Employment Law Project. Those pay raises this year will directly affect more than 3 million workers earning minimum wage and indirectly nudge up pay for more than 6.2 million higher-paid employees because of the domino effects on company pay structures, according to the Economic Policy Institute data. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist and the author of 14 books, including the forthcoming "Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future," "In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work," and "Never Too Old to Get Rich." Follow her on Bluesky. Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Inside a Minnesota Amazon warehouse, new state law puts spotlight on worker safety
SHAKOPEE, Minnesota - About 20 workers at the Amazon fulfillment center in this suburb southwest of Minneapolis gathered around a supervisor early one morning before starting another shift. Yelling above all the commotion of a 855,000-square-foot facility, the manager told workers they were in for another busy day before he launched the group into a stretching routine for fingers, wrists, necks, torsos and legs. This site can churn out a million or more packages a day during peak seasons. But the workload can also churn out injured workers - around 200 a year, according to federal data. Repetitive tasks such as lifting, reaching or bending, done for hours at a time, five days a week, can lead to musculoskeletal injuries that can force employees to miss work. The Shakopee facility's safety record has drawn scrutiny for years. It helped inspire new statewide safety regulations that took effect in late 2023. Yet more than a year later, some workers still assert that Amazon is not doing enough to keep them safe. And while federal data shows that the most serious injuries among workers are on the decline at the facility, overall injuries still increased last year. "All they want is just fair work, a safe place for them to work," said Deqa Essa, the executive director of the Awood Center, a nonprofit that assists East African immigrant workers, many of whom work for Amazon. Amazon's Shakopee fulfillment center opened in 2016. Not long after, it began to take heat for its working conditions. A 2021 study by the National Employment Law Project found that from 2018 to 2020, the facility had an injury rate of 11.1 cases per 100 full-time-equivalent workers. That's more than double the rate at non-Amazon warehouses in Minnesota and more than four times the average rate for all private industries in the state. The facility, which now employs 2,500 people, became the site of worker protests, drawing the attention of state lawmakers. In 2022, with Amazon in mind, the Legislature passed safety requirements meant to eliminate excessive productivity quotas and slow the pace of work at warehouses with 250 workers or more at one site, or for companies with 1,000 workers across multiple warehouses. If an employer records an injury or illness rate at least 30% higher than national averages, the state is supposed to open an investigation and the employer must hold safety committee meetings monthly until the rate drops below 30%. The law went into effect in late 2023. In 2024, Minnesota also implemented new safety standards to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries for warehouses and other facilities with more than 100 employees. The state has since levied fines against 15 warehouses as of February, ranging from $4,300 to as much as $32,500, according to records from the state Department of Labor and Industry. The violations commonly involve required safety programs designed to avoid musculoskeletal injuries - a lack of implementation, training or reference to them in written materials for workers. Amazon's Shakopee facility is among the 15 warehouses. Although its fine of $10,500 ranks in the bottom third compared to the others, it is the only enforcement action the state has publicized so far. The state fined Amazon, alleging that it did not protect employees from ergonomic hazards and that it used a quota system without giving a written copy of it to workers before they were expected to meet it. Amazon is appealing the fines. Spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company had already implemented many of the safety precautions required by the law, and denied that workers are judged on a fixed quota system. But some workers at Amazon said they felt the company still has not done enough to support them. About a half-dozen workers met with the Minnesota Star Tribune at the Awood Center, which helps with policy advocacy, workers' rights education and leadership development for immigrant workers. Workers interviewed requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation at work. They said the speed of the job and the likelihood of injuries at Amazon are the same if not worse than before Minnesota passed its new safety regulations. "I still feel pain. But still, I need my job," said one woman who continued to have pain in her shoulder after she reportedly hurt herself at work. She still can't lift heavy things above her head and suffers from migraines that she believes are related to her injury. Amazon has made some progress safety-wise at the facility. According to data from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the rate of injury cases in which an employee missed time from work dropped 54% from 2020 through 2024. Nantel said the progress on severe injuries is the result of more than $2 billion in company-wide safety investments since 2019, rather than any new regulations in Minnesota. "Those are the things that have made a big difference," she said. Workers have also complained to the Awood Center that supervisors penalize them for the time it takes to use the bathroom or pray, in violation of the new law. The issue, workers said, is that walks to the bathroom or prayer room in the massive facility can take several minutes. Nantel acknowledged that in general there can be Amazon supervisors who act outside of policy regarding work breaks but said that they are held accountable. She dismissed it as a widespread issue, calling it an "easy accusation" that is not based in fact. But Essa insisted Amazon still has room for improvement. Of the 20 Amazon workers the organization is in touch with, she said, almost all of them report pain in their shoulders, neck or elsewhere. "I think to comply [with the new law], it takes time," Essa said. "That's why we exist. You have to continue pushing for Amazon to do the right thing." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Minimum wage increasing in over a dozen cities and 3 states on July 1
While workers across many jurisdictions have already seen minimum wage increases with the start of the year, thousands more across over a dozen cities and states will see a pay bump heading into July as several laws take effect. Nearly two dozen states, cities and local municipalities will see some form of a minimum wage hike go into effect July 1, according to a report by the worker advocacy group National Employment Law Project. Jan. 1, 2025 marked a popular day for pay increases across the U.S., as 21 states and 48 cities raised their minimum wage rates. In total, 88 jurisdictions across 23 states were set to see minimum wage hikes by the end of 2025, the report said. Social Security change coming in July: Agency begins taking back 50% of overpayments Some of these July 1 increases pertain only to certain sectors, like California's wage hike for health care sector workers, or are part of a multi-step plan, like in Alaska, where wages will increase each year until reaching $15 an hour by 2027. It's estimated more than 880,000 workers in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. will start earning a higher minimum wage starting July 1, according to a new report by economic policy think tank Economic Policy Institute. Here's where the increases are slated to take effect beginning July 1, 2025. Which states have minimum wage hikes July 1? See new hours: Costco extends shopping for Executive Members Where else are there July 1 minimum wage hikes? Some local jurisdictions adjust their minimum wages annually for inflation each July, according to a June report by ADP. The changes often result in marginal increases in hourly rates that are less than a dollar. Several pertain only to workers in a specific sector or to businesses of a certain size. New wages effective July 1 include: 10 cities and counties in California see small increases to account for inflation Two midwestern capitals implement wage hikes July 1 More minimum wage increases in DC and parts of Maryland, Washington Elsewhere in the country, Maryland's Montgomery County will raise pay to $15.50, $16 or $17.65 per hour, depending on the amount of employees, coming out to about a 50 cent raise. In Washington, D.C., minimum wage increases to $17.95 July 1, from $17.50. Three cities in Washington state are due for wage increases: Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
