Feeling Beat Up

I’ve only been at Amazon for a few weeks and work in a HR position. I went into HR to help people.

I took this job because of the Amazon name and awesome sign on bonus. I have had zero training, was thrown into helping associates on day 3, and already worked serious overtime. When I went to my manager and asked for training, I was looked at me like I was crazy. I was told that it’s just the Amazon way and it was my responsibility to figure things out. When I told her that my computer didn't seem to have access to most things that I need, she asked me what I needed. It was my fourth day. Shouldn’t my computer have been set up for me and how would I know? 

I’ve been given an impossible amount of work to do every day which primarily consist of reviewing people’s time cards and firing them for attendance issue. I’ve lost count of the terminations that I have completed in just a few weeks. I’ve been given insane reports that are due at the same time as associates breaks but told that I need to help the associates. I asked which one was the priority and was told everything was a priority and to figure it out. It was implied that I might not be amazon material if I don’t figure it out. 

I am a HR Professional, fully SHRM certified with over a decade of HR experience and a masters degree. Now I’m working a low level help desk, being screamed at by rightfully angry associates and drowning in made up reports with zero training.

When I have the nerve to question the lack of customer service for our associates, I keep being told asinine things like there’s HR and then there’s Amazon HR. Or sink or swim! Or take charge of your own development. What the hell? I am well educated and experienced. If you want me to complete an accommodation, I would love to, but you must at least give me access to the system or tell me the name of the system. Asking for training is not a crime nor does it make me incompetent.

I would honestly just quit and walk out, but now I’m terrified of this sign on bonus that they gave me. Even if I give them back the cash, they also took out thousands of dollars in taxes. I was told I would be responsible for paying the taxes back too. If I quit right now, I’d have to pay amazon to quit?!? I am stuck in the worst way. 

I thought the horror stories I had previously read about Amazon were exaggerated. I thought I could be up for the challenge because I have always been successful. Boy was I wrong.