GRcade

pjbetman wrote:Job at Amazon as delivery driver is, er, basically gooseberry fool! 8am start, get loaded up at about 830...been averaging about 180-200 parcels per day. Supposed to be a 9 hour day (so, 8-5 with 1 hour of breaks), but regularly been working until 8pm, and still bringing 10-20 parcels back! It's insane. Not only that they expect you to work for free, but that people actually do it. Told them I want to reduce my hours...still gonna be working for nothing for about 2-4 hours per day. Obviously people need money for xmas and stuff, and maybe the workload is increased due to xmas, even though there's probably extra drivers to cover. Pity, coz the job is actually ok to do...it's just the 11-12 hour days and only 9 hours pay that's the problem.

He's one greedy banana split that Jeff Bezos. He earns $98 MILLION dollars per day.

It sounds awful.

The basic idea of being a delivery driver sounds great to me, I enjoy driving and handing over a few parcels a day sounds like a good compromise for me spending a day listening to the radio/Spotify/podcasts.

The reality of it though….

Be a yodel driver and get the best of both worlds. Drive around all day and don't deliver a thing.

Ad7 wrote:Be a yodel driver and get the best of both worlds. Drive around all day and don't deliver a thing.

That would be a good plan, except Yodel drivers are expected to knock on the door and then run away before the customer has a chance of opening it. All that sprinting away sounds tiring to me.

Moggy wrote:

Ad7 wrote:Be a yodel driver and get the best of both worlds. Drive around all day and don't deliver a thing.

That would be a good plan, except Yodel drivers are expected to knock on the door and then run away before the customer has a chance of opening it.

Or hug the customer who ordered the item... I'm scared to order stuff now just in case he delivers anything again!

pjbetman wrote:Job at Amazon as delivery driver is, er, basically gooseberry fool! 8am start, get loaded up at about 830...been averaging about 180-200 parcels per day. Supposed to be a 9 hour day (so, 8-5 with 1 hour of breaks), but regularly been working until 8pm, and still bringing 10-20 parcels back! It's insane. Not only that they expect you to work for free, but that people actually do it. Told them I want to reduce my hours...still gonna be working for nothing for about 2-4 hours per day. Obviously people need money for xmas and stuff, and maybe the workload is increased due to xmas, even though there's probably extra drivers to cover. Pity, coz the job is actually ok to do...it's just the 11-12 hour days and only 9 hours pay that's the problem.

He's one greedy banana split that Jeff Bezos. He earns $98 MILLION dollars per day.

I'm confused about the working for free part? How are you paid? On salary or by the hour?

Ad7 wrote:Be a yodel driver and get the best of both worlds. Drive around all day and don't deliver a thing.

Sandy wrote:

pjbetman wrote:Job at Amazon as delivery driver is, er, basically gooseberry fool! 8am start, get loaded up at about 830...been averaging about 180-200 parcels per day. Supposed to be a 9 hour day (so, 8-5 with 1 hour of breaks), but regularly been working until 8pm, and still bringing 10-20 parcels back! It's insane. Not only that they expect you to work for free, but that people actually do it. Told them I want to reduce my hours...still gonna be working for nothing for about 2-4 hours per day. Obviously people need money for xmas and stuff, and maybe the workload is increased due to xmas, even though there's probably extra drivers to cover. Pity, coz the job is actually ok to do...it's just the 11-12 hour days and only 9 hours pay that's the problem.

He's one greedy banana split that Jeff Bezos. He earns $98 MILLION dollars per day.

I'm confused about the working for free part? How are you paid? On salary or by the hour?

I don't know if this is the case for pjbetman but I think Amazon Logistics follow the Uber model of using self-employed 'contractors' so they don't have to pay for standard employee benefits or comply with employment law. Drivers are paid a set fee for a route with a number of parcels that's impossible to complete in a standard day and in reality end up earning below minimum wage, with no rights.

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This should be illegal.

Do you say anything when they're loading up? Could you point out you're being given more than you should?

"I'm contracted for up to a maximum of 140 items a day" should do it.

"Ok, we're terminating your contract then"

On what basis?

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Standard contractor abuse really. The trouble is you don't offer a unique proposition. All you can do is look for better pay for the same job. Have you looked at other couriers like DPD. I've been told they pay a lot better.

You should start tracking your own performance so you can pitch for better contracts. Or negotiate down the amount you will do for Amazon, get your own van, and put those extra hours to work for some other company that will pay for them.

Sandy wrote:This should be illegal.

It actually is now. If you're only working for one client it's legally employment not independent contracting, and comes with the same benefits, even if they don't say it is they wouldn't win against HMRC if a case was made against them... Although Amazon aren't a UK company.

Trouble is the drivers have Amazon get away with it by essentially ignoring the law.

Last time I left work as a contactor was because I "would work better as part of a team" even though they had admitted in the same email to my agent I had demonstrated I had all the skills they needed. All I asked was if I could know what days I would be needed on in advance as per the terms of my contract. What a load of gooseberry fool.

Drumstick wrote:On what basis?

With less than 2 years service they don't need one.

pjbetman wrote:

Tomous wrote:

Sandy wrote:

pjbetman wrote:Job at Amazon as delivery driver is, er, basically gooseberry fool! 8am start, get loaded up at about 830...been averaging about 180-200 parcels per day. Supposed to be a 9 hour day (so, 8-5 with 1 hour of breaks), but regularly been working until 8pm, and still bringing 10-20 parcels back! It's insane. Not only that they expect you to work for free, but that people actually do it. Told them I want to reduce my hours...still gonna be working for nothing for about 2-4 hours per day. Obviously people need money for xmas and stuff, and maybe the workload is increased due to xmas, even though there's probably extra drivers to cover. Pity, coz the job is actually ok to do...it's just the 11-12 hour days and only 9 hours pay that's the problem.

He's one greedy banana split that Jeff Bezos. He earns $98 MILLION dollars per day.

I'm confused about the working for free part? How are you paid? On salary or by the hour?

I don't know if this is the case for pjbetman but I think Amazon Logistics follow the Uber model of using self-employed 'contractors' so they don't have to pay for standard employee benefits or comply with employment law. Drivers are paid a set fee for a route with a number of parcels that's impossible to complete in a standard day and in reality end up earning below minimum wage, with no rights.

Yes that's exactly right, although, I've been given a contract of 100-140 parcels per day for £137...I've been averaging probably around 180-190 per day...so I should be getting more like £200 per day.

Does anything happen to couriers when a package isn't delivered or isn't delivered correctly? Looks like my monitor from yesterday got nabbed, or a neighbour rescued it from the rain (need to check that...) but regardless of that does the courier get fined? Sacked even?

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