# Holiday Sweatshops Amazon Employees Must Work 7 Days A Week or Risk Being Fired By Sandra Winn | Published 2008-12-17 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christmastime-sweatshops-amazon-employees-must-work-7-days-a-week-or-risk-b References: [valleywag](http://valleywag.com/5110871/amazoncoms-holiday-sweatshop-horror?skyline=true&s=i) & [business.timesonline](http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article5337770.ece) If you’re a humanist at heart who buys online, you may want to rethink before hitting the ‘buy’ button. According to a Times Online London investigation, [Amazon](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amazon-3) in the UK is forcing workers to bust their butts seven days a week or risk being fired, even if they are sick, regardless of a doctor’s note. Nothing irritates more than seeing hard-working people mistreated. The threat from UK Amazon to fire sick employees during the Christmas season doesn’t apply to the higher ups. Oh no, it’s immigrants and unemployed people stuck [packing about 140 boxes per hour](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holiday-parcel-shipping) that risk getting axed. You know? The people who need it most? Seeing red over Amazon UK’s unethical Christmastime work standards? You can extend your reddened-glare to the US Amazon company; they openly practice the same thing. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.3/10 - Popularity: 1% | Activity: 31% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Activism](https://www.trendhunter.com/activism) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Ethical Labor Practices:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop technology solutions that can monitor and enforce ethical labor practices in real-time. - **Employee Well-being:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create wellness programs and tools to support the physical and mental well-being of employees, especially during peak seasons. - **Automation and Robotics:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement advanced automation and robotics systems to increase efficiency and reduce the reliance on human workers. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **E-commerce:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design platforms and marketplaces that prioritize fair labor practices and promote transparency. - **Human Resources:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop HR technologies that prioritize employee well-being and provide effective monitoring and reporting on labor conditions. - **Manufacturing and Logistics:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate smart manufacturing and logistics systems that leverage automation and robotics to streamline operations and improve working conditions. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Holiday Home Delivery Upgrades](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amazon-3.md) - [Festive Delivery Training Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iceland-christmas-delivery-drivers.md) - [Customer-Driven Holiday Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amazon-holiday-campaign.md) - [Round-the-Clock Grocery Deliveries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gopuff-santa-hours.md) - [Holiday Grocery Delivery Hotlines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/getir-christmas-emergency-hotline.md) - [Same-Day Holiday Deliveries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sameday-holiday-deliveries.md) - [Virtual Holiday Shopping Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holiday-shop.md) - [Employee Work-Life Balance Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/four-day-workweek.md) - [Extended Christmas Spirit Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/edubirdie-2022.md)