Listening and Reading - Amazon bathroom breaks

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo g, t
• Leerjaar 4

Listening, reading and writing

Amazon bathroom breaks

- Read an article

- Watch a short clip

- Writing an opinion

- Peer feedback

After today's lesson I ...

... know some more about Amazon's bathroom policy for employees.

... can form an opinion about this situation.

Step one: Read an article

First off you'll read the article on 'The Verge'.

Make sure you're reading it correctly, to get the information about it. 

Afterwards you'll get 7 questions.

www.theverge.com

1. What kind of employees does the article talk about?

1. Delivery workers
2. Warehouse workers
3. Management
4. Amazon prime content creators

2. What is the main reason the employees don't go to the toilet?

1. They don't drink enough, so don't have to pee.
2. They have to work double shifts in the warehouse and delivery.
3. They have high targets to reach and so they're too stressed .
4. The bosses are very strict and so employees are afraid of them.

3. The Amazon warehouses were compared (vergeleken) with ...., because of the banned items.

1. train stations
2. airports
3. a prison
4. schools

4. Which of the following statements are NOT true?

1. 55% of the Amazon employees have reported depressions
2. 80% of the employees wouldn't recommend working at Amazon
3. 74% of the workers avoid going to the toilet, because they are afraid
4. 60% of the employees don't dare to call in sick and just go to work

5. An anonymous worker said he/she was marked 'No call, no show'. What do you think that means?

6. Does Amazon agree with the negative statements made by their workers?

1. Yes, they will improve everything.
2. No, they say the statements aren't from employees.
3. Yes, they provided an apology and a bonus on their next salary.
4. No, they say their focus is on something else than pee breaks.

7. What do you think about the information in this article?

Step two: watch a short clip

You'll watch a short clip about this Amazon bathroom break debacle.

Oobah Butler took this situation and turned it into something to 'mess with'.

Afterwards you'll get 4 questions about the clip.

1. What kind of employees does the clip talk about?

1. Delivery workers
2. Warehouse workers
3. Management
4. Amazon prime content creators

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

1. If you don't deliver enough packages it's a problem.
2. If you leave your bottle of pee in the car it's a problem.
3. There's a point system for rewards in your salary.
4. The target for deliveries is easy to reach if you work normally.

3. Why does Oobah make an energy drink to sell on Amazon?

1. To trick people into drinking urine.
2. To trick Amazon workers into drinking their own urine.
3. To trick Amazon to display their own workers' urine.
4. To trick his colleagues into drinking urine.

4. What do you think about the information in this short clip?

Step three: write an opinion

What is your opinion on the pressure Amazon workers are under and therefore have to pee in bottles?

Make sure you ...

... write 100 words.

... use 2 facts from the article or clip.

Step four: peer feedback

Read the text of the person next to you.

Give them one compliment (top) and one tip (for improvement).