An Amazon warehouse holiday giving initiative in New York has caused an employee to become angry after they were invited to write a letter sharing their financial struggles with Peccy, the company’s mascot. Keith Williams, an employee at the Amazon SWF1 warehouse, expressed his frustration stating that “They basically say, ‘Tell us about your hardships, how hard this holiday season is for you.’ If we feel it’s sad enough [then we’ll] give your family some help.”
The flyer, which has Peccy sitting at the bottom, asked employees to share their hardships during the holiday season, with the potential for the company to provide assistance if the story was “sad enough”. The flyer was noticed at the warehouse where Williams works in Rock Tavern, New York.
Peccy, an orange blob-like character, represents Amazon and the company was eager to promote the holiday giving initiative at their warehouse. An Amazon spokesperson acknowledged the concerns raised by the initiative and issued an apology to anyone who may have been offended.
According to Amazon, the initiative was part of a holiday giving initiative at their warehouse. At some individual sites, the company provides initiatives that benefit employees or the community at large. Despite this, the initiative was met with negative feedback by some of the employees, which highlights Amazon’s effort to be more socially responsible amid criticism of worker mistreatment and anti-union activities.
The company cited itself as the country’s leading job creator and announced a $1.3 billion investment in pay increases for customer fulfillment and transportation employees in 2023. This news follows a September report by Amazon.
It is worth noting that 2021 was a record year for Amazon, with the company’s profits soaring due to the pandemic-fueled surge in online shopping. However, the company has repeatedly faced scrutiny from labor activists, politicians, and regulators for allegations of anti-union activities and mistreatment of workers in their facilities, which has led to a series of protests and strikes over the past few years.