Whole Foods Cuts Paid Breaks From 15 to 10 Minutes for Many Workers | Eater
"An Amazon-owned grocery chain recently scaled back paid rest breaks from 15 minutes to at least one paid 10-minute rest break per shift, a change framed as creating a uniform policy across stores and states but one that reduces break time for workers in regions such as Southern California, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic and the South. The policy explicitly includes the time it takes to walk to and from the break room, further shrinking actual rest time, and has been denounced by a member-led union called Whole Worker, which the company refuses to recognize. Earlier pandemic protections—like hazard pay and extended sick leave for part-time staff—largely ended around July despite ongoing high COVID-19 rates, and employees staged a “sick out” after CEO John Mackey suggested workers should “donate” sick days; staff have also complained about a stricter dress code and increasing pressure from Amazon Prime-driven demand. While the company says the update will provide the majority of team members with more break time overall, critics see the change as another sign of deteriorating worker protections amid substantial gains in Amazon leadership wealth during the pandemic." - Jaya Saxena
