Diary of an Amazon warehouse employee

On 10/3/18 one of my coworkers found a little notepad while we were working. It had "Work: TOT + ETC" written on the front. Inside, one of our fellow associates was keeping track of things that were happening to him over the course of the day which could have resulted in reduced rate or potential TOT (time off task). I found this fascinating because of the number of entries and concept of the whole thing. Are we really at the point that we need to be documenting every minutia of events that occur throughout the day? Are we that afraid of being reprimanded for having 7 minutes of TOT here and 8 minutes there? I know not everybody who works at Amazon stresses about this sort of stuff as much as this person clearly did, but it is also true that this person is not the only one who has these concerns and there are associates who really do fear for their job security whenever something unexpected comes up like a scanner freezing or the inability to locate a cart to work with.

Vocabulary for those who aren't familiar with Amazon:

• ToT = Time off task. Accumulating more than 30 minutes of ToT in a single shift may result in a write up
• AM = Area Manager
• PS = Problem Solve (a place you go if you have issues with items)
• AMCARE = Kind of like the nurse's office in gradeschool, but for Amazon

So anywhere, here it is in all of it's glory. Enjoy:

8/18/18
6:54 Label for item pick desk
7:22 question @ pick desk
7:34 West to East
8:13 Battery died
8:52 Error page + restart
8:53 question for ps about item + tote
tote: tsX01yqz4a3

8/18/18 (cont)
9:47 Can't find a cart K-3rd floor
4:00 Can't find cart
4:06 Scanner froze
4:13 Question about item
4:19 Scanner stopped scanning + restart
4:40 Problem solve

6:50 Talk w/ AM
7:05 Page can't be displayed + restart
12:41 Couldn't find cart
1:59 Battery died + scanner reboot
3:58 Dying battery + scanner restarted

8:52 Stomach pain + bathroom
9:04 Page can't be displayed
11:40 Waiting on work

1:15 Waiting on work
__
7:14 Scanner froze
9:50 Can't find cart
12:41 Couldn't find a cart after lunch
1:16 In really bad pain thighs chaffing badly tonight
3:09 Done @ PS
3:30 No cart until J-first floor in the back

__
9:47 Can't find cart
2:05 Dying battery + start up
4:00 Scanner froze. New scanner
__
4:45 Change battery + Start up
__
4:01 No cart
__
Tues 8/28
10:59 Can't find cart

2:42 Session error
2:45 Question about item tsx04khu8d5
__
8:50 Stomach pain since start of shift + nausea
10:02 Battery died + restart scanner
__
11:40 4th time getting no displayed page
1:21 Session error + restart new session
2:37 Stomach pain + Bathroom

6:55 Talk with AM
9:05 Scanner won't let me reject item + scanner froze. talk w/ Zack/AM after lunch
4:02 Restart scanner batter died
__
10:52 AMCARE and no one is available
__
9/8/18
9:48 Couldn't find no cart
9:53 New scanner frozen

1:38 Can't find cart first floor
All night scanner acting up
In + out of AMCARE
Scanners not available
__
Beginning of shift 9/9/18
Talk to AM
11:06 Dying battery + start up
__
6:43 Check in @ AMCARE Sept 11
1:37 Frozen scanner

Sept 15
6:45 Start of shift talk w/ HR
9:45 Check in @ AMCARE
9:55 Scanner frozen + starting up
2:10 Dying battery change + start up
2:22 error page reload
__
9/16
9:47 Traveled to find step ladder first floor west
1:48 Change battery dying

9:41 Battery died
4:00 Can't find cart

8/17
8:36 Question about item
10:16 page can't be displayed + start up
2:55 Stomache pain + bathroom
__
Sat 22/18/09
11:07 Scanner froze

Sun 23
9:29 Scanner froze + bathroom

9:44 AMCARE + no one available
10:37 Assisting new start
2:08 Changed battery after 3rd break
In so much pain came back late
__
Monday 9/24
Talk with GM aftrer all hands meeting
After 1st break couldn't find cart
In a lot of pain + swelling @ lunch
12:41 new scanner + start up

2:42 Page error + restart scanner
__
9/25
9:03 Scanner reboot
10:43 Scanner froze
__
Sept.
11:39 Waiting on work
1:37 No work waiting on work
4:00 No work