JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — An employee at the Jeffersonville, Indiana Amazon Fulfillment Center tested positive for COVID-19 according to a phone call employees received Thursday.
In a statement, Amazon Spokesperson Andre Woodson said, “We are supporting the individual who is recovering. We are following guidelines from health officials and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site.”
But some employees we spoke to don’t think Amazon is doing enough.
Amazon said in its statement that there has been increased cleaning at all sites and jobs have been adjusted to make sure people are social distancing within company buildings.
But an employee sent us photos she took Thursday of empty hand sanitizer containers and a people, not social distancing.
“They’re saying that we have to stay six feet apart from each other and if we don’t then it’s our fault. But it’s literally impossible to do that,” that employee said, who wants to remain anonymous over the fear of losing her job.
The employee says people are still working in close quarters. She says if they are trying to spread out and take more time to ensure their own safety, they are warned for spending too much time off task, which could eventually lead to being fired.
Amazon employees can take time off if they feel unsafe, but they won’t be paid.
“They’re saying, ‘oh you feel unsafe? You can take time off without being penalized.’ But to me, it’s a penalty to not get my paycheck,” the employee said. She took off work Friday.
Another employee we spoke with went to work Friday.
That employee says the company started using tape on the floors to ensure social distancing and took employees temperatures coming into work.
But it’s the lack of information that makes her nervous.
“I’m nervous at what amount of exposure I might have had, I personally have been in the entire building in the last week pretty much every area,” the employee said.
The employee says in a mass phone call from Amazon Assistant General Manager Matt Pulley Thursday night, they weren’t told where the employee who tested positive worked within the building.
“They’ll say they’re doing all this cleaning and that’s wonderful, but we still need to know where we might have been exposed,” the employee said.
She is hoping for more transparency so employees can make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
“It’s nice to be able to take whatever time you want off, but still got to pay the bills,” she said.
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