Rockland Reporter

Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), Chris Smith (R-NJ-04), and Haley Stevens (D-MI-11) introduced the bipartisan Warehouse Worker Protection Act to enhance safety by mandating companies with large warehouses to disclose quotas to workers and prohibiting quotas that interfere with health and safety.

An audit by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General revealed consistently high injury and illness rates in warehouses. The report highlighted that in 2021, the injury and illness rate was 5.5 per 100 employees for warehouses, more than double the rate across all industries. A recent study also indicated that over half of employees at Amazon and Walmart, two major private employers, reported difficulty using bathroom facilities due to production rates.

The Warehouse Worker Protection Act mandates companies provide written descriptions of quotas workers are subjected to, potential disciplinary actions for failing to meet quotas, any incentive or bonus programs associated with each quota, and how these quotas are monitored. The bill prohibits companies from setting quotas that prevent compliance with meal or rest periods or restrict access to bathroom facilities.

“The rate of injury and illness among warehouse workers is more than double the rate across all industries,” Congressman Lawler stated. “While some steps have been taken to address working conditions over the years, many warehouse workers continue to endure unsafe conditions. We must do better for these workers who form the backbone of the American economy.”

Congressman Norcross added, “The increasingly dangerous working conditions at warehouses across the country resulting from these quota systems are wholly unacceptable. In 2022, three New Jersey warehouse workers tragically died on the job within weeks of each other, highlighting poor working conditions and high injury rates in warehouses.”

“This critical legislation will help ensure America’s warehouse workers can perform their jobs safely,” said Congressman Smith. “It is unconscionable that these workers often face hazardous conditions leading to higher injury rates than other occupations.”

Congresswoman Stevens remarked, “Our warehouse workers comprise the backbone of our 21st-century consumer economy. This legislation will ensure they have clear performance expectations and necessary breaks while performing their duties.”

The Senate companion bill was introduced by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Bob Casey (D-PA). It has received endorsements from several organizations including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, AFL-CIO, United Food and Commercial Workers, National Employment Law Project, Athena Coalition, and Oxfam.

The bill establishes a Fairness and Transparency Board within the Department of Labor to enforce guidelines through OSHA and Wage and Hour divisions. This board will include union representatives, employers' representatives, health experts, civil rights experts, workplace technology experts, and worker protection experts.

Key provisions require employers to provide written descriptions of each quota a worker is subject to upon hiring; notify workers when changes occur; inform them if adverse action is taken for not meeting a quota; offer training on filing complaints when rules are violated; maintain work speed records; prohibit establishing quotas interfering with meal/rest periods or bathroom use; set performance targets shorter than one workday; include break times in performance metrics; or violate collective bargaining agreements.

OSHA will be tasked with proposing a rule requiring trained individuals on-site ready to administer first aid following workplace injuries.

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