How many hours a week were the people on food stamps working? 40 hours or 20? It's pretty relevant information that isn't contained. They earn $15 an hour, plus can earn more with overtime. Now $15 is £11.48 an hour, on a 40 hour week that's £23,878 a year. Outside of a big city that's actually a decent wage, yet you're acting like they're being forced to work in Egypt in 2000 BC building the Pyramids while being whipped. It's laughable honestly.
Not trying to be funny, but have you actually ever worked in an amazon warehouse?
It is backbreaking work, depending on where you are on the line you will be lifting upto 25kg parcels every few seconds and shoving them on conveyer belts from ground level upto waist level or from head level down to ground level.
Its different variations of this depending where you may be on the line that day, this changes every single shift. I have worked within one of the newest amazon distribution centres in Suffolk and let me tell you its no joke.
I did two weeks myself while I was there on other business just so i could get a picture of how strenuous it was. I am fit and healthy, lifting this sort of weight is absolutely fine for me however the constant repetition and the sheer speed you are expected to do it at is extremely bad for your health.
Staff are frequently put on the most difficult parts of the line multiple days in a row. At the end of each shift you are beyond exhausted, I experienced this myself and after speaking to many it was the same across the board. The shift pattersn are 10 hours long with one half hour break, you work half of that shift before you go on break, you will be lifting and moving that weight every few seconds for a constant period of at least 5 hours before a rest period. Like I said above its extremely exhausting.
Adding onto this you are expected to be available on "days off" for standby where you can be asked to turn up for shifts at short notice. Standby basically means you are going to be working.
I find it hilarious you think that it is so easy for people to just do "overtime" like its an easy decision or good for their health. It is difficult enough for people to utilise their time off bettering themselves let alone do any overtime due to exhaustion. Unfortunately many people find themselves in circumstances that require them to work these jobs and then find it really hard to get out of due to lack of time/money/energy.
This is in the UK, in the US it its a dismal experience, it may not be ancient Egypt but it is horrible.
I
know this is not a response directly related to the questions/ideas in the topic however I really just wanted to clarify the above to you and anyone else.
