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The
new provisions require all companies using warehouse labour to
disclose productivity quotas to employees and government
agencies and bar use of algorithms that prevent employees from
taking rests and bathroom breaks, thereby endangering their
health and safety, the governor's office said.
The California State Senate this month approved the bill in a
26-11 vote.
"We cannot allow corporations to put profit over people," Newsom
said in a statement, signing the measure into law.
"The legislation ensures workers cannot be fired or retaliated
against for failing to meet an unsafe quota."
While Newsom's office did not single out any company in the
statement, the New York Times reported that the bill was written
partly in response to high rates of injuries at Amazon
warehouses.
The rate at which Amazon workers suffer serious injuries was
nearly double that of the rest of the warehousing industry last
year, the newspaper reported, citing studies.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"The hardworking warehouse employees who have helped sustain us
during these unprecedented times should not have to risk injury
or face punishment as a result of exploitative quotas that
violate basic health and safety," Newsom said.
The California Retailers Association expressed disappointment
that Newsom signed the bill, saying it "will exacerbate our
current supply chain issues, increase the cost of living for all
Californians and eliminate good-paying jobs".
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru;
Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Robert Birsel)
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