I was a depressed tech exec, so I took an $18-an-hour Amazon warehouse job during the company's busiest season. It cured my burnout and gave me a new perspective on the industry.
I've always worked for companies that have claimed that people are their greatest asset. The fact that the security gates in an Amazon warehouse are on exit and not upon entry, in order to trap people from stealing iPhones and stuff, shows that the greatest assets really are the goods moving into that warehouse, not the people.
The first day of peak was actually kind of exciting. There were six managers standing at the front door, shaking plastic clappers as we walked in through a balloon arch while thumping techno music played. It was like entering the Super Bowl; you felt heroic, like, "Whoa, we're going to do this great thing."
As peak wore on, though, it eventually dwindled down to two managers and then none — no clapping, no songs. By the end there was simply a human-resources desk where people could line up and register their complaints to HR.
It was almost like a microcosm of the entire emotional experience of peak: You'd begin on this high; it's all thrilling and whatnot. By the middle, you're barely enthused to even show up. And then by the end, it's just human resources.
It's surprising to me that since Amazon has had peaks for 25 years at this point, people should be very aware of how high emotions run during this period. If managers cannot even keep up the enthusiasm to rattle plastic clappers for 10 minutes while employees walk in for an 11-hour shift, it's setting such a bad example for everyone.
