An Amazon worker allegedly lay dead in an Oregon warehouse for more than an hour while colleagues were told to get back to work, according to a damning new investigation
An Amazon worker allegedly lay dead in an Oregon warehouse for more than an hour while his colleagues were told to get back to work, according to a new report.
Workers were reportedly instructed to carry on with their duties while the man lay on the ground, with some allegedly discouraged from helping him. One employee claimed a manager told them: “Just turn around and not look. Let’s get back to work,” according to The Western Edge, which first reported the story.
An investigation by the outlet alleged Amazon attempted to prevent news of the worker’s death – which occurred on April 6 at its distribution centre in Troutdale – from becoming public.
An employee, identified under the pseudonym Sam, said he saw a body lying “lifeless” at his workplace but was told by a supervisor to “please get back to work”, according to The Western Edge.
Witnesses told the outlet a woman ran over to the invidiual and began performing chest compressions. Sam, who is trained in CPR, said workers wanted to help the woman.
“I started sobbing and said, ‘I want to help, please!’ I know she’s going to get tired and need to be subbed out,” he told The Western Edge.
He alleged his supervisor, who he said had tears in his eyes, told him: “It has to be management or safety team” and instructed him to “just turn around and not look. Let’s get back to work”.
Emergency services later attended the scene and the area was closed off. The incident is said to have shocked workers at the facility, with some blaming middle management for what they described as a cold response.
“Between being told we should get back to work while a coworker is getting CPR and being told not to help, I just can’t support a corporation like that. We are just numbers,” Sam told the outlet.
The report also refers to wider concerns about the treatment of workers at large retail companies. Amazon has previously faced allegations relating to its distribution centres in the United States, although cases brought against the company have largely been resolved in its favour.
An anonymous worker at the Oregon warehouse told The Western Edge: “Truthfully, I now have even less respect for our leadership team than I did before, which I didn’t know was possible. It makes me feel more ashamed to work there knowing that people can drop dead and we have to carry on knowing it doesn’t matter to the higher-ups, and everyone is replaceable.”
In a statement to the Mirror US, Amazon said: “We’re deeply saddened by the passing of a member of our team, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their loved ones during this difficult time. We’ve been in touch with his family and have provided resources to support them. For employees at our PDX9 facility, we’ve provided on-site grief counselors and additional support.”
The company added: “We’re thankful for the work of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department and local emergency medical services.”
Amazon said site operations were suspended shortly after emergency services arrived and remained closed for the rest of the day. When work resumed, staff were offered voluntary time off. The incident was ruled to be non-work related.
It comes after Amazon workers protested under the banner #MakeAmazonPay from November 28 to December 1, 2025, alleging labor abuses, environmental degradation and threats to democracy.
“Even if we fainted, we couldn’t take a day off & go home. If we took that day off, our pay would be cut, & if we took three days off, they would fire us. Amazon treats us as expendable,” said Neha Singh, an Amazon worker in Manesar, India, on behalf of the movement.
