[krapp]

You'd be surprised, though.

I work at an Amazon fulfillment center near Austin and I wouldn't say that the people working there seem poorly educated or skilled, at least not less so than average. They're mostly working at Amazon for the benefits and possibility of extra cash during peak. Also bear in mind that, because of what Amazon pays at the bottom tiers, many of these people also have a second job as well, so it's not necessarily the case that this is the only job they could have. There are just too many people working in these jobs for that to be the case.

[extra88]

I would expect the education level of the workforce to be higher in Austin than in many places; UT churns out so many students and it's a cultural center.

[burntrelish1273]

Cool.

How are working conditions: organized, chaotic or brutal?

Are there reasonable accommodations for the reality of life's un/certainties like doctors appointments, family/dependent emergencies and similar?

Are workers paid a living wage for the area?

And what's the prevalence or seasonality of CamperForce workers?

[krapp]

>How are working conditions: organized, chaotic or brutal?

Chaotic, and something less than brutal. The first two months I worked there were the most painful of my life, but now I find it more tedious than physically strenuous. Dehydration and repetitive stress injuries are a problem, as is environmental noise, at least where I am.

I wouldn't discount anyone's horror stories about working at Amazon, though. It's a big network, and I'm in a large, modern facility with partial automation so I'm probably in a better position than a lot of people.

>Are there reasonable accommodations for the reality of life's un/certainties like doctors appointments, family/dependent emergencies and similar?

Not always. They allow for emergency time off, sick days, etc like any other company, but they will also sometimes not give much forewarning about mandatory extra time, since that's determined by "business need," and can last indefinitely if Amazon decides. I've seen many complaints from employees with children/other jobs/obligations about it.

>Are workers paid a living wage for the area?

Amazon pays below the cost of living here, but higher than some other entry level jobs, and justifies that by claiming the other benefits they offer make them competitive. As a result (and very likely by design), many employees are forced to work voluntary overtime to make ends meet, or find a second job.

>And what's the prevalence or seasonality of CamperForce workers?

I've never seen them, but I've only ever worked in one location.