Amazon Delays Warehouse Phone Ban 'Until Further Notice' Amidst Tornado Safety Concerns

Amazon has decided to delay its warehouse phone ban amidst safety concerns "until further notice." This comes shortly after a tornado hit a warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, leaving six people dead.

Amazon to Loosen Control Over Employee Activities

With multiple safety concerns mounting up, Amazon has decided to loosen its control over its employee's activities. With that, as per an article by Bloomberg, the massive internet retailer confirmed to them that they will be backing off when it comes to rejuvenating efforts in banning the use of personal phones when in the company's warehouses.

According to Engadget's news story, the company had banned the use of personal phones inside their warehouses for a couple of years now. This move, however, eased its approach when the COVID-19 pandemic fist hit.

Six People Dead in One of Amazon's Warehouses

Despite postponing it, the ban was expected to come back in January 2022. To add, however, the company has decided to extend their leeway when it comes to personal phones within their warehouses "until further notice."

Although Amazon didn't directly explain its decision, the extension comes just shortly after a tornado hit one of its warehouses resulting in the death of six people. Furthermore, the warehouse located in Edwardsville, Illinois, was affected.

Recent Heat Against Amazon

This decision also followed a significant surge when it came to COVID-19 cases. With that warehouse, employees have all demanded access to their phones both for safety alerts as well as a way for them to stay in touch just in case an emergency happens.

As noted by Engadget, a reinstituted ban when it comes to the use of personal phones would have been "tone deaf." The publication said this came after an incident where a dispatcher told a driver to continue to deliver packages even though a tornado was already rampaging through the Edwardsville area, as per the report TechTimes.

Companies Can Ban Use of Phones

Companies are allowed to ban their employees from using their phones on the clock regarding legaliti as further discussed in an article by Forbes. This could either improve safety or prevent certain sensitive information from leaking from their staff.

However, the publication noted that that stance is changing as smartphones are now becoming much more important in daily lifeThe publication also noted that the importance of smartphones and Amazon's "poor safety reputation" could indict public pushback.

With Amazon's reputation when it comes to the company's "poor safety" due to recent incidents like the tornado deaths and the dispatcher pressuring a driver to work amidst the tornado, this would leave the retail giant "little room to reimpose a ban" or at least do so without getting significant pushback from the public.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian B.