For Amazon, the solution to the shortage of delivery drivers is the recruitment of cannabis users, reports Bloomberg.
To address the shortage of delivery drivers in the United States, Amazon allows the recruitment of cannabis smokers. The company, which is lobbying the federal government to legalize hemp, is in fact advising its delivery partners to specify on their job postings that they do not check whether applicants use cannabis or not, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday,
September 1. In June, the U.S. online retailer had already indicated that it would no longer test potential employees for the drug.
This strategy, according to Amazon, allows for a significant increase in applicants – up to 400%. Cannabis testing would reduce the number of potential workers by up to 30 percent, the U.S. company says.
Several of Amazon’s delivery partners will continue to screen applicants
Some of Amazon’s delivery partners, however, do not want to stop screening for the drug. Several reasons are put forward, including insurance implications, but also liability implications. In the U.S., several states prohibit cannabis use.
“If one of my drivers has an accident and kills someone and the test is positive for marijuana, that’s my problem, not Amazon’s,” one of them revealed. This Amazon partner requested anonymity to discuss the matter with our colleagues at Bloomberg, as the American company discourages delivery company owners from talking to the media.
This week, driver recruitment was the focus of about 100 delivery company owners gathered in Las Vegas. As the holiday season approaches, they are struggling to stand out in a tight job market. Amazon’s delivery drivers are indeed often attracted to school bus companies, where drivers can earn more than $20 an hour and can go home for dinner. Amazon’s contract drivers, meanwhile, earn about $17 an hour and often work late into the night to keep up with demand.