California Governor Signs Legislation to Protect Warehouse Workers
The new provisions require all companies using warehouse labor to disclose productivity quotas to employees and government agencies and bar use of algorithms that prevent employees from taking rests and bathroom breaks, thereby endangering their health and safety, the governor’s office said.
The California State Senate this month approved the bill in a 26-11 vote.
“We cannot allow corporations to put profit over people,” Newsom said in a statement, signing the measure into law.
“The legislation ensures workers cannot be fired or retaliated against for failing to meet an unsafe quota.”
While Newsom’s office did not single out any company in the statement, the New York Times reported that the bill was written partly in response to high rates of injuries at Amazon warehouses.
The rate at which Amazon workers suffer serious injuries was nearly double that of the rest of the warehousing industry last year, the newspaper reported, citing studies.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The hardworking warehouse employees who have helped sustain us during these unprecedented times should not have to risk injury or face punishment as a result of exploitative quotas that violate basic health and safety,” Newsom said.
The California Retailers Association expressed disappointment that Newsom signed the bill, saying it “will exacerbate our current supply chain issues, increase the cost of living for all Californians and eliminate good-paying jobs.”
- Growing Progressive Set to Hire 10,000 for Claims, IT, Other Roles
- ‘Fearless Girl’ Lawsuit by State Street Settles on Eve of Trial
- Report: Late April Tornadoes Affected 7K Properties with Reconstruction Cost of $2.1B
- Insurer Chubb Prepares to Pay $350M in Baltimore Bridge Collapse
- California Chiropractor Sentenced to 54 Years for $150M Workers’ Comp Scheme
- Report: Vehicle Complexity, Labor ‘Reshaping’ Auto Insurance and Collision Repair
- Property Restoration Industry: A Culture in Need of Repair?
- Millions of Recalled Hyundai and Kia Vehicles, With Dangerous Defect, Remain on Road