No. 121: Measure What Matters

Does your company emphasize the importance of safety at work? I've talked about it a few times in this newsletter, most recently after Boeing's mishaps with its exit row door. The topic resurfaces again this week, but this time we're discussing worker safety: the Senate has been reviewing Amazon's labor practices and concluded that injury rates are not only higher than expected but also misleading.

The featured job this week emphasizes safety as well in a way – Motional is working on autonomous driving technology that will transform transportation in the not-too-distant future. I also have a few recommendations for continuing education over the holiday break.

You are taking a break, aren't you? At least to bake cookies?

~ Greg

What we're reading

The Senate spent 18 months investigating Amazon's labor practices and released a report last week asserting that the company misrepresented its injury data. (NPR)

• Amazon warehouses have significantly higher injury rates than the industry average, with workers nearly twice as likely to be injured compared to other warehouses.
  • In 2023, Amazon reported 30% more injuries than the industry average.
  • The company and Senate disagree on the comparison methodology. Amazon is benchmarking against warehouses with more than 1000 employees, which tend to have higher injury rates, instead of benchmarking against warehouses of similar sizes where applicable. Doing so makes Amazon's injury rates seem lower than they actually are.
• Obviously this is a concern, but the reason this report stuck out to me is because the injury rate is exacerbated by the way Amazon measures performance.
  • Amazon has safety protocols in place, but they can be at odds with the rate at which employees are supposed to pick products and ship packages. People are compromising their health in order to meet the demands of the work environment.
  • For example, workers testified about being blamed for their injuries and not being able to seek external care.
• Being that this is a Senate report, it's worth seeing it through a political lens; it's not the first time that a major company has come under fire for its labor practices, and it won't be the last.
  • That said, I think you can view this report, Boeing's safety culture, McKinsey's consulting culture (see below), and myriad other examples through the lens of social impact.
  • We're really talking about company values and whether they make the world a better place. "Do no harm" seems like table stakes.

Job of the week

I love a good moonshot, and Motional is aiming for one that will undoubtedly change the way we move in the not-too-distant future. Autonomous vehicles are no longer an emerging technology – in San Francisco, for example, you can hail a ride with Waymo. Motional makes driverless vehicle technology, and they're hiring a Director of Human Resources in Boston, MA who will have an immediate impact on their international and stateside operations. Make the roads a bit safer, will ya?

Community roundup

• McKinsey, the consulting group that advised Purdue Pharma on opioid sales, has agreed to a $650 million settlement for their role in the crisis. (CBS News)
• Some students whose parents are undocumented, even if they themselves are United States citizens, are electing not to fill out this year's FAFSA for financial aid out of concern that it may trigger deportations. (The 74)
• California is moving to eliminate the sales of gasoline-powered vehicles, and the Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments over whether the state can set more stringent standards than the EPA. (Reuters)
  • Typically, states and municipalities cannot set their own emissions limits, but California has been granted exceptions by the EPA in order to do so.
• Speaking of the EPA, a new report found that the EPA's air quality monitoring systems favor whiter neighborhoods. The researchers compared census data with monitor locations to draw their conclusions. (The Guardian)
  • This struck me as surprising, since communities near polluting areas tend to have more people of color. Hopefully this report will encourage changes at the EPA.
• Coke has revised its sustainable packaging goals set in 2020 and lowered its targets after missing them by a significant margin. (Grist)
  • I'm sure this isn't the only reason, but I'm reminded of the Pepsi greenwashing lawsuit from last year in New York and the greenwashing lawsuit from this year in Los Angeles County. The legal risks may have outweighed the optics – though Coke remains one of the world's top global plastic polluters.
• Mercedes-Benz is working on a paint coating that can recharge a car's battery with solar energy, minus the downsides of panels. (Fast Company)

Hot job opportunities

• Consulting Services Sales Director – ERM – Boston, MA or Chicago, IL
• Senior Backend Software Engineer – Nexamp – Boston, MA
• Internal Communications Lead – Helion Energy – Everett, WA
• Project Architect – South Mountain Company – West Tisbury, MA
• Director of Marketing Operations – Veeva Systems – Remote
• Technical Principal, Adobe Technologies – Valtech – Chicago, IL
• Cost Accounting Manager – Beta Bionics – Irvine or San Diego, CA
• Lead Designer – Wefunder – San Francisco, CA
• Growth Development Representative – Aledad – Remote
• Sr Learning and Development Program Manager – Rivian – Palo Alto, CA; Irvine, CA; Atlanta, GA; or Plymouth, MI

Resource of the week

Hopefully you have some rest and relaxation planned in the coming weeks. Why not devote some of that time to learning something new?

Self-paced opportunities are available from a number of companies that have appeared in the newsletter, and many of them have free courses or offer free trials. Coursera and Khan Academy are great for a wide variety of topics, and some of them will net you a certificate at the end of your coursework. I personally learned web development through Codecademy, and you'll find data science and computer science offerings from them as well.

Don't skimp on the university offerings either. You might be surprised to hear that many universities offer course materials for free. Maybe iTunes U will make a comeback someday, but in the meantime you can find materials directly on the university websites.

Test your knowledge

Last week's question was about the Paris climate agreement reached in 2015. We've gone back and forth on it: Obama joined it, Trump withdrew from it, and Biden rejoined it. If you're thinking Trump may withdraw from it again – and it's not like there isn't precedent for it – know that the oil industry would prefer to stay the course. This interview is particularly enlightening, but as an example, energy companies are thinking decades out and prefer a stable regulatory environment within which to invest; they also have the optics of a climate-aware public to worry about. Only time will tell though.

Nobel prizes often reward noble pursuits, but this one radiates social impact more than most:

Who was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize?

Email me your guess, and I'll send one lucky winner a couple of One Work stickers!

I'm hosting Christmas dinner for the first time in years – maybe ever? Totally overdid it on the recipe planning. I may be forced to use the warming drawer as intended instead of as storage for sheet pans. You can find me on LinkedIn and Threads.