Are these workplace activity trackers an ankle monitor for Amazon workers? Is it increasing safety and efficiency? Or is it making sure you don’t sit down on the job?
Amazon delivery driver Tony Deleon (@_tonydeleon) alarmed viewers when he revealed he must use a wearable activity tracker whenever he’s working.
He also raised eyebrows by comparing it to the ankle monitor people under house arrest must wear.
Deleon posted his video on Feb. 4. It’s now racked up over 1.5 million views and counting.
A pedometer or ankle monitor
The on-screen caption proclaims, “Ain’t no way Amazon is making us wear this” in all caps.
“For real, we gotta wear this?” he asks.
“You’re never gonna believe what Amazon gave us,” he tells his viewers. “If you’re thinking a raise, definitely not.”
He then states, “Amazon cares about our safety,” pointing out the AI dashcam installed in his delivery van. “In case we ever pass a red light, pass a stop sign, we’re on our phone being distracted—but now they wanna take it up a notch,” he claims.
He then displays a black plastic device that looks similar to an old-school pager from the early 90s.
“It apparently tracks your steps and, as of today, every driver needs to be wearing one of these,” he claims.
“If I’m going to be wearing this, I’mma have fun with it,” he tells viewers before showing how he has attached the device to his ankle.
Connected to a strap, the device does bear a strong resemblance to an ankle monitor used for probationers.
“Bro, I’ve never caught a case, but I feel like now I’m on probation,” he says.
“Bro, I feel like if I walk too far away from the van, it’s going to shock me or something,” he concludes.
What is it used for?
The device Deleon is wearing appears to be a Kinetic REFLEX.
According to Work Tech marketer Digi.com, “Using sensors and biomechanical analysis, REFLEX determines when workers are moving with correct posture.”
REFLEX detects high-risk postures and and uses a vibration to provide workers with real-time feedback.
“Over time, workers can use REFLEX to improve their biomechanics, resulting in fewer injuries and improved well-being.”
Though Deleon stated that Amazon “gave’ the monitors to drivers, Deleon reveals in the comments this isn’t the case.
Instead, the Amazon Delivery Service Partner (DSP) he works for is requesting drivers wear the REFLEX. “It’s from workers comp, not Amazon apparently,” he writes.
Deleon posted a comedic follow-up video regarding the device’s origin, which states explicitly that Amazon did not provide the trackers or require all its drivers to wear them.
The Daily Dot reached out to Amazon via email for a statement.
Do workplace activity trackers affect workers’ comp?
A six-month-old post in r/AmazonDSPDrivers shows a picture of the monitor and claims, “My DSP is making us wear these to track our movement, if we make a movement that is deemed ‘unsafe’ it buzzes and at the end of the day sends all the information back to the managers. They say this is just to help with worker comp costs. So…super fun.”
According to a 2021 article in the Insurance Journal, Kinetic has formed an underwriting partnership with at least one insurance company to provide insurance in conjunction with its workplace activity monitors.
Kinetic claims its devices help “reduce workplace injuries by up to 60%.”
“While Kinetic’s wearable technology is included at no extra cost with the insurance policy, policyholders must commit to using the technology with their workforce,” per the Insurance Journal.
The Daily Dot reached out to Kinetic via email for a statement.
Privacy Concerns
Although wearables seemingly benefit insurance companies and corporations, there are some privacy concerns about the technology.
Per Invictus Law, “Requiring employees to wear activity tracking devices raises significant privacy concerns for workers. Workers may have very legitimate concerns about how the data is shared and with whom, and the vulnerability of that data to hacking.”
In addition, “if employers were to require employees to wear tracking devices all day at work, workers could be generally upset at the intrusion into their personal behavior.”
@_tonydeleon Amazon wants me to wear it , OKAY I’LL WEAR IT #amazon ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Viewers weigh in
Some viewers, claiming to be fellow Amazon workers, voiced their own opinions on the workplace activity trackers in the comments section.
“Don’t worry those things break so often that it costs more to maintain them lol. We had them before but since they broke so much we gave up on that. Plus people kept losing them,” Countsmokula (@countsmokula) wrote.
Another commented, “My DSP was told if we wear them the DSP owner gets a discount on their workers’ comp insurance.”
“Bro we don’t have those yet but if we do you can bet I’m wearing it on the ankle too that’s funny as hell,” another added.
Other commenters mentioned the ankle monitor-like placement in the video. One person wrote, “The placement was spot on!!!”
Deleon responded, “I told them, keep the props coming.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Deleon via Instagram direct message and TikTok for further comment.
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