Ex-Amazon worker claims she was ‘harassed in warehouse and sexually assaulted by manager’ – The Sun
A FORMER Amazon warehouse employee claims she was subjected to intimidation, cruel working conditions and sexual harassment.
Rachel Westley, who quit her job at Amazon's Ottawa distribution center in March, told the Ottawa Citizen she was “punished” by her colleagues when she complained.
Westley alleges a HR manager grabbed her, groped her and forced her to kiss him.
When she reported the December incident, she claimed, she was blamed.
“They made me cry, questioned me if I led him on, did I go on dates with him, give him my phone number,” she claimed. “They told me there was no proof.”
Westley said she was also shown surveillance footage of herself in the warehouse after the incident.
“They asked why I appeared happy on camera that same day giving someone a high-five after the ‘alleged attack’”.
Westley has since been told the HR manager was fired three weeks after she quit.
An Amazon spokesperson told the Ottawa Citizen they could not discuss the complaint “due to privacy concerns,” but it was “thoroughly investigated and appropriate action was taken” and the company has “zero tolerance for retaliation against employees who raise concerns.”
The Sun has contacted Amazon for comment.
In a separate instance of alleged bullying, Westley said a warehouse worker above her in the hierarchy touched her inappropriately.
“She leaned over the conveyor belt, and touched me under my chin, softly telling me, ‘Come with me dearie, we have cage training for you’,” Westley said.
Westley believes the incident stemmed from her speaking to a man, who she later learned was the boyfriend of the worker who touched her.
Westley said she complained and asked to be transferred to another department. There, she experienced more bullying, she claimed, because she had complained.
She claimed she was called “lazy” and denied the right to move between various tasks, a policy Amazon has in place for employees’ “physical and mental wellbeing”.
“She told me, ‘You’re going to do the exact same job all day every day,’ and so for two months she stuck me in the same spot doing the same job over and over again.”
She claims the manager told her “I’m going to make sure you’re never going to get that promotion.”
Amazon employees have previously complained of gruelling working conditions.
During the COVID-19 crisis, the company has been criticized over its treatment of employees.
Former Amazon VP Tim Bray quit the company this month over what he described as "chickens**t firing of coronavirus whistleblowers".
After his resignation, Bray published an open letter titled "Bye, Amazon" on his personal blog explaining his decision.
Bray, who worked as a VP for Amazon Web Services, wrote: "I quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of COVID-19."
He said that the company's treatment of its employees during the COVID-19 era is what made him "snap".
Last month, Amazon fired a worker who demanded greater protections for employees who were exposed to the coronavirus at a New York warehouse.
Chris Smalls, a 31-year-old procession assistant, organized a walkout from the company's Staten Island facility.
However, Amazon said in a statement to The Sun that Smalls was fired for violating social distancing guidelines.
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