Holding off on a late-night online purchase may do more than save money—it could help reduce pressure on warehouse workers. New research led by Cornell University found that consumers’ demand for inexpensive products delivered quickly contributes to harsher working conditions in e-commerce fulfilment centres compared with traditional warehouses.

The study, published in the ILR Review, provides one of the first comprehensive assessments of warehouse work in the United States. Researchers found that the growing emphasis on convenience, speed, and low prices has significantly reduced job quality for many workers who process online orders.

According to lead author Alexander Kowalski, Assistant Professor of Human Resource Studies at Cornell University, e-commerce intensifies competition among retailers to meet customer expectations, often at the expense of employee well-being. He noted that this trend affects a large and expanding segment of the labour market, but it is not unavoidable.

Researchers surveyed approximately 400 warehouse employees across the United States. Workers in business-to-consumer (B2C) facilities, which primarily fulfil online orders, reported greater pressure to work quickly, fewer opportunities for breaks, higher exposure to unsafe conditions and poorer overall well-being than employees in traditional business-to-business (B2B) warehouses. Despite these challenges, they did not receive higher wages.

To explore differences among employers, the research team surveyed more than 1,400 Amazon warehouse workers and 450 Walmart warehouse workers. The results showed that Amazon employees reported more intense workloads, lower wages, greater unfairness, more safety concerns and higher levels of stress and injury than their Walmart counterparts.

The findings suggest that Amazon’s focus on rapid delivery places greater demands on workers than Walmart’s emphasis on low prices. While job quality was not high in either company, Amazon’s e-commerce fulfilment centres were associated with the least desirable working conditions.

The researchers stressed that poor job quality is not an inevitable consequence of e-commerce. The contrast between Amazon and Walmart demonstrates that different business strategies can produce different outcomes for workers. They argue that improving conditions will require a combination of worker advocacy, public policy, consumer awareness and corporate commitment to balancing efficiency with employee well-being.

More information: Alexander Kowalski et al, At the Mercy of the Market? E-Commerce, Warehouse Work, and Job Quality in the United States, ILR Review. DOI: 10.1177/00197939261444716

Journal information: ILR Review Provided by Cornell University