Amazon has introduced private pods dubbed “AmaZen” stations where tired or stressed employees can take a load off and watch a meditation video as a means of self-care.
The online retail giant announced in a press release the launch of its WorkingWell program, which includes a number of services for employees “that are scientifically proven to help them recharge and reenergize, and ultimately reduce the risk of injury.”
One of the services includes private interactive booths that guide employees through “mindfulness practices,” the company said.
“During shifts employees can visit AmaZen stations and watch short videos featuring easy-to-follow wellbeing activities, including guided meditations, positive affirmations, calming scenes with sounds, and more,” the company said.
“Self-care is important, and AmaZen gives me an opportunity to take time for myself to just pause and regroup which helps me be better at work,” one employee said in the press release. “When I take that time, I come back to work more focused, and it has a lasting effect on the rest of my day.”
Amazon tweeted a video of the booths, but it was later deleted after critics deemed it “dystopian.” According to Vice News, the video originally showed the “ZenBooths” and testimony from the woman who created them.
“With AmaZen I wanted to create a space that’s quiet, that people could go and focus on their mental and emotional well-being,” Leila Brown said in the video, Vice reported. “The ZenBooth is an interactive kiosk where you can navigate through a library of mental health and mindful practices to recharge the internal battery.”
Amazon has faced increased pressure to change its working conditions as employees complain about being overworked.
Amazon deleted AmaZen from Twitter, but they can’t delete this dystopian nightmare from the Library of Mental Health in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/WkCTPaqekD
— Steven (@Reachingbroom) May 27, 2021
