Amazon's ultimate stress test causes cracks from both sides: workers and customers

This is not a drill... Amazon is going through an ultimate, real-life stress test right now. The delivery giant is coming in especially clutch during these stuck-at-home months (feels like an era). And it's feeling the stress from from both sides:

• Overwhelming demand from customers is straining its supply chain and getting Prime subscribers riled up on delayed orders + unavailable products (try ordering Lysol wipes). Amazon's site traffic was up 32% from last year with almost 640M weekly visits. From Feb 20-Mar 23, Home/Kitchen sales alone surged 1,861%.
• Worker unrest is exacerbating the stress, as workers demand better pay and health protections for dangerous conditions. As many as 1/2 of workers haven't shown up to jobs at some warehouses because of lacking masks/sanitizers. On Monday, warehouse workers on Staten Island staged a walk out (and Amazon fired the lead organizer). Yesterday, some of Amazon's Whole Foods employees staged a "sick out," demanding hazard pay.

Safety vs. demand... The more demand there is from customers, the more Amazon really needs its workers to be ready, able and willing to work.

• But this overwhelming demand comes with stressful situations for workers, like reports of working overtime in close contact without adequate health protections.
• "Essential" workplaces are all struggling with some form of this, as they juggle supplying essentials to the stuck-at-home masses with ensuring worker safety.