Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
As we continue on through the COVID-19 pandemic, there have definitely been far-reaching effects due not only to the severity of the illness but the means by which companies have been forced to try to contain it. One major effect is an impact on employment and the severe sudden drop in applications. Many companies have experienced this (especially those that can be argued to pay poorly), and Amazon is not exempt from it. As an interesting twist, Amazon has chosen to combat this issue by reinstating employment eligibility for employees fired for failed marijuana testing and will increase its efforts to lobby for federal marijuana legalization.
This latest move towards marijuana legalization and removal of punishment and pre-employment screenings was announced in an Amazon company blog post on September 21, 2021.
“Pre-employment marijuana testing has disproportionately affected communities of color by stalling job placement and, by extension, economic growth, and we believe this inequitable treatment is unacceptable,” said Amazon HR boss Beth Galetti.
This statement goes along with Amazon reinstating employment eligibility for former employees and applicants who were fired or otherwise passed over due to random and pre-employment marijuana screenings.
In addition to this effort to remove punishment against employees who are also cannabis users, Amazon also signaled its intention to lobby for the federal legalization of marijuana as a whole.
Despite promises to the contrary, the Biden Administration has been slow and stingy about efforts towards the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana at the federal level. With Amazon throwing a new wave of support behind it, it will be interesting to see if the needle of support for said legislation moves.
Amazon has come up frequently in anti-employment rights conversations for its staunch anti-union activity, but this effort (while likely mostly about keeping business moving via a large workforce) at least seems like one that could benefit many. Stay tuned as we continue to follow this story for further updates.