Silicon Valley wasted no time in reacting to a New York Times article on what it's like to work at Amazon. The story featured depictions of people pushed to extremes, staff crying at desks and "redrawing the boundaries of what is acceptable."
The Seattle-based online retailer was described as a data-driven workplace where metrics are used to determine if employees measure up. Turnover is high. Low performers are fired. The rewards can be great, but the story quoted many employees expressing doubts about how Amazon treats its workers.
"I would see people practically combust," a former Amazon project manager said in describing the pressure to deliver results.
The story hit a nerve. And there seemed to be plenty of head-shaking among readers. Eighty-plus hours a week? Workers told to secretly send feedback to each other's bosses?
To some, the story read like a depressing preview of the workplace of the future, where technology and the push for greater efficiency strain what people are capable of doing.
But, in a perhaps telling divide between those who work in tech and those outside of it, Silicon Valley seemed a bit underwhelmed by it all.
Outside Silicon Valley, the reaction veered toward horror.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos sent out a company-wide memo to say the story "doesn't describe the Amazon I know or the caring Amazonians I work with every day."
Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, took aim at what he called "isolated anecdotes."
"It claims that our intentional approach is to create a soulless, dystopian workplace where no fun is had and no laughter heard. Again, I don't recognize this Amazon and I very much hope you don't, either," Bezos wrote.
Bezos also asked Amazon employees to contact him or human resources if they knew of any incidents like those described in the article.
"Even if it's rare or isolated," Bezos wrote, "our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero."
One of those anecdotes described a woman who had just had a stillborn child and was put on a performance improvement plan, described as code for "you're in danger of being fired."
The article continued: "The mother of the stillborn child soon left Amazon. 'I had just experienced the most devastating event in my life,' the woman recalled via email, only to be told her performance would be monitored 'to make sure my focus stayed on my job.'"
In another example, Michelle Willamson, 41, who helped build Amazon's restaurant supply business, said she was told by her boss that raising children would likely hurt her career because of the long hours required. Her boss told The New York Times that he had told Willamson to find a less demanding job at Amazon.
After the article appeared, an Amazon engineer named Nick Ciubotariu took to Linkedin to defend his employer. His lengthy response was widely passed around online. He hit upon how much employees like him appreciate Amazon's culture.
"Would you not want to work for a company that recognizes talent based on merit, not politics and bureaucracy?" Ciubotariu wrote.
And over at Forbes, writer George Anders, who authored a 2012 cover story about Amazon, noted that there was more to at least one anecdote mentioned in the New York Times story.
The article described how Bezos, at age 10, tried to get his grandmother to stop smoking by calculating the cost of each puff on her lifespan. "You've taken nine years of your life!" he told her. And she burst into tears.
Bezos had told the story during a 2010 Princeton graduation speech. The article noted it as an early example of Bezos' data-driven management.
But, Anders said, there was more to that one story -- and it had been mentioned by Bezos in his speech.
After young Bezos made his grandmother cry, his grandfather ushered him aside for a private talk.
"Jeff, one day you'll understand that it's harder to be kind than clever," his grandfather told him.
Anders wrote:
"That encounter has haunted Bezos for a long time. At the close of his Princeton talk, Bezos posed a series of rhetorical questions to graduates, including: 'Will you bluff it out when you're wrong, or will you apologize?' and 'Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?' "
By cutting the anecdote short, Anders said, the New York Times made Bezos look like an "emotionless cyborg" rather than a relentless doer who periodically wrestled with his conscience.
At the same time, Anders thought the article captured "something fundamentally true about the Seattle company's breakneck pace."
The Washington Post
Tue Aug 18 2015
![Is it really that hard to work at Amazon? Is it really that hard to work at Amazon?](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2015-08/71439867554_JeffBezos.jpg)
Bezos also asked Amazon employees to contact him or human resources if they knew of any incidents like those described in the article.
![RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-03/81678788517_MahkamahUtama.jpg)
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya.
![Rasionalisasi RON95 dijangka beri impak lebih besar kepada PKS - SAMENTA Rasionalisasi RON95 dijangka beri impak lebih besar kepada PKS - SAMENTA](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-03/81646741163_DatukWilliamNg.jpg)
Rasionalisasi RON95 dijangka beri impak lebih besar kepada PKS - SAMENTA
SAMENTA menjangkakan rasionalisasi RON95 akan memberi impak yang lebih besar kepada perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) berbanding pelarasan subsidi diesel.
![Malaysia sasar pengeluaran 40 peratus sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030 Malaysia sasar pengeluaran 40 peratus sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-09/71694910732_DatukArthurJoseph.jpg)
Malaysia sasar pengeluaran 40 peratus sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030
Malaysia menyasarkan pengeluaran 40 peratus hasil sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030 dalam usaha membantu mengimbangi keperluan perikanan negara.
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
![Amazon dilapor pertimbang kenakan caj bulanan untuk Alexa Amazon dilapor pertimbang kenakan caj bulanan untuk Alexa](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/51719200997_AmazonAlexacaj.jpg)
Amazon dilapor pertimbang kenakan caj bulanan untuk Alexa
Caj bulanan ini bakal menawarkan sejumlah akses tambahan dan kebolehan yang lebih baik melalui Alexa. Mengikut
![NVIDIA pintas Amazon sebagai syarikat kelima paling bernilai di dunia NVIDIA pintas Amazon sebagai syarikat kelima paling bernilai di dunia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-02/41707882202_TBNVIDIAjpg.jpg)
NVIDIA pintas Amazon sebagai syarikat kelima paling bernilai di dunia
Nilai pasaran NVIDIA mencecah $1.78 trilion (RM 8.52 trilion) selepas pasaran saham ditutup berbanding Amazon dengan nilai $1.75 trilion (RM 8.37 trilion).
![Amazon perkenal chatbot beli-belah AI 'Rufus' Amazon perkenal chatbot beli-belah AI 'Rufus'](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-02/51706933669_TBamazon.jpg)
Amazon perkenal chatbot beli-belah AI 'Rufus'
Rufus masih di peringkat ujian beta dalam kelompok pengguna kecil di AS, sebelum dilancarkan lebih meluas pada minggu akan datang.
![Amazon lancar cip Trainium2, Graviton4 untuk latihan AI serta pelayar data Amazon lancar cip Trainium2, Graviton4 untuk latihan AI serta pelayar data](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-11/61701230872_TBCipTrainiumj.jpg)
Amazon lancar cip Trainium2, Graviton4 untuk latihan AI serta pelayar data
Trainium2 direka untuk mempercepatkan proses latihan model sehingga empat kali lebih pantas berbanding cip generasi pertama.
![Amazon bakal aktifkan AWS Region di Malaysia pada 2024 Amazon bakal aktifkan AWS Region di Malaysia pada 2024](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-03/71677829104_AWS.jpg)
Amazon bakal aktifkan AWS Region di Malaysia pada 2024
AWS Region membolehkan pelbagai data berkaitan disimpan di Malaysia, dan pada masa sama menawarkan kadar pendam rendah (low-latency rate) untuk perkhidmatan yang digunakan dalam negara.
![12 maut dalam nahas pesawat di Amazon Brazil 12 maut dalam nahas pesawat di Amazon Brazil](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-10/81698662368_planecrash.jpg)
12 maut dalam nahas pesawat di Amazon Brazil
Sekurang-kurangnya 12 orang, termasuk seorang bayi, maut apabila pesawat ringan yang mereka naiki terhempas di negeri Acre di barat laut Brazil.
![Amazon lancar dua satelit, mahu saingi Starlink milik Elon Musk Amazon lancar dua satelit, mahu saingi Starlink milik Elon Musk](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-10/61696628573_AmazonRocket.jpg)
Amazon lancar dua satelit, mahu saingi Starlink milik Elon Musk
Projek Kuiper menyediakan "jalur lebar yang pantas dan mampu milik kepada komuniti yang tidak dilayan dan kurang dilayan di seluruh dunia."
![Lebih dari 100 ikan lumba-lumba mati akibat kemarau teruk Lebih dari 100 ikan lumba-lumba mati akibat kemarau teruk](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-10/61696373754_TBdeaddolphin.jpg)
Lebih dari 100 ikan lumba-lumba mati akibat kemarau teruk
Kejadian ini menimbulkan kebimbangan pihak berkuasa dan penyelidik terhadap ekosistem alam di Amazon yang semakin terancam.
![Sepanyol denda Apple, Amazon AS$217.8 juta kerana amalan antipersaingan Sepanyol denda Apple, Amazon AS$217.8 juta kerana amalan antipersaingan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-07/51689742675_AppleAmazon.jpg)
Sepanyol denda Apple, Amazon AS$217.8 juta kerana amalan antipersaingan
Amazon dan Apple juga menyekat keupayaan jenama lain bersaing dengan Apple untuk memperoleh ruang pengiklanan di laman Amazon di Sepanyol.
![Amazon cabar peraturan kandungan digital EU Amazon cabar peraturan kandungan digital EU](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-07/51689155929_Amazon.jpg)
Amazon cabar peraturan kandungan digital EU
Syarikat gergasi dalam talian Amerika Syarikat (AS) Amazon mencabar penyertaannya dalam senarai syarikat yang dikenakan peraturan yang lebih sukar di Kesatuan Eropah.