Amazon exec called fired worker ‘not smart’ in leaked memo

The e-commerce giant has emerged as a go-to provider of essentials for customers looking to avoid stores during the outbreak. But it has also been criticised for not doing enough to protect workers in its warehouses and those making deliveries. — Bloomberg

A senior Amazon.com Inc executive called a fired Staten Island warehouse worker “not smart or articulate” in internal discussions about how the company should respond to employee criticism of its handling of the pandemic, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky said fired worker Chris Smalls should be the focus of Amazon’s public-relations campaign countering activist employees, said the person who saw an internal memo. Amazon workers around the country have been walking off the job or holding demonstrations to highlight what they describe as inadequate safety precautions.