Three current and former Amazon delivery drivers filed a lawsuit against the company in Denver District Court on Monday for imposing performance metrics that prevent drivers from taking state-required breaks, according to a new report from Colorado Public Radio.
The lawsuit alleges that conditions were so bad, that one delivery driver would, “pack plastic water bottles to urinate in during his shift. On more than one occasion, he pooped into a doggie waste bag in the back of his truck.”
According to the report in Colorado Public Radio:
Ryan Schilling spent eight years in the U.S. Army serving in combat zones during the Iraq War. After he left the service and moved to Aurora in 2018, he applied for a job as an Amazon delivery driver.
Within a few weeks of training and starting the job, he found himself overwhelmed with the demands. During his busiest shifts, he was required to make over 200 stops a day, delivering upwards of 500 packages to customers’ doorsteps.
Along the way, he barely had time to use the restroom or take his state-mandated 10-minute rest break every four hours, he said in an interview. He often skipped lunch to keep up with Amazon’s performance metrics.
“The speed you have to complete your route on time is, for most people, inhuman,” Schilling, 28, said.
To avoid falling behind, Schilling would pack plastic water bottles to urinate in during his shift. On more than one occasion, he pooped into a doggie waste bag in the back of his truck.