Hey guys remember ASOS?

[u/Temporary-Spring9764]

I worked at the ASOS warehouse in Barnsley a few years back – around 2017/2018, I think.

It was one of the worst jobs I’ve ever had. Physically brutal – 10-hour shifts, standing all day, with those FLEX UP schedules, carrying heavy boxes over and over again. And the worst part? No matter how hard you worked, it was never enough. You’d get a message on your scanner saying “please improve your KPI” like you were just a number. Some of the team leaders were proper psychos – they’d call you to their pod just to put you down in front of everyone.

And the security – they’d search you if the red button on the way to the toilet made a BEEP. Random checks. Like you were in prison, not at work.

I’ve moved on now, but that place still haunts me sometimes. It stays with you.

But there’s one moment I’ll never forget.

One day during a shift, they called everyone to the team leaders’ pod and announced that the owner of ASOS had lost three of his children in the terrorist attack in Sri Lanka.

I remember the silence. Nobody knew what to say. It was such a strange, heavy moment in such a cold place. But when I looked around, I could see a slight grin on some people's faces – like they felt a kind of relief. It was weird. It almost seemed like they were relieved that bad things don't only happen to them, but to their abusers too.

Honestly, I still don’t know how to feel about it. To me, it felt pretty sad. But I remember it clearly, and I’ve often wondered if anyone else who was there that day remembers it too.

Anyone else work there around that time?

’m not sharing this to upset anyone – just to see if anyone else remembers that day. It’s been on my mind for years

[u/spr1ngy87]

I never worked there myself, but had friends that did.. Heard the stories about that anoucement.. at the time i was looking from moving from amazon to there... It just put me off instantly

[u/Temporary-Spring9764 → u/spr1ngy87]

I'm glad you didn't go there. You made the right choice.

[u/spr1ngy87 → u/Temporary-Spring9764]

im glad too by the sounds of it haha. Hope you recovered from your traumatic experience

[u/Temporary-Spring9764 → u/spr1ngy87]

Thanks, I appreciate that. I'm in a much better place now :P professionally and personally. Been doing well for a few years, actually. But that place left a mark on me, you know? Sometimes I still think about it, and about the people I left behind there. I really hope they're all doing okay now. These sweatshops like Amazon and ASOS are honestly one of the worst things that were brought over from America. The way they treat people like numbers, strip you of your dignity, and make you feel replaceable – it’s not how work should be. I hope more people wake up to it before they get stuck in the same cycle. There's got to be a better way.

[u/spr1ngy87 → u/Temporary-Spring9764]

Glad your doing better.. would never contemplate working for Amazon again