A worker died at an Amazon warehouse in Oregon on April 6.
'Please Return to Work': Amazon Workers Say They Were Ordered to Keep Working as a Coworker Died on the Floor
A worker died at an Amazon fulfillment center in Oregon under circumstances that have drawn widespread criticism. According to latest reports, his coworkers were instructed to keep working and "not look," while his body lay on the floor for more than an hour.
The incident has made people furious after the employee's passing away on the job. Amazon confirmed the death and said the company had been in contact with the employee's family. The incident took place on April 6 at a location in Troutdale, Oregon.
According to The Western Edge, workers were told to keep working and not to help the man as he lay motionless on the floor. A worker mentioned that a manager instructed them to "Just turn around and not look. Let's get back to work."
A 46-year-old worker died while working in an Oregon warehouse.
'We are deeply saddened by the passing'
Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson told WION, “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."
An employee, identified by the pseudonym Sam, said that after seeing what he described as "a body form lying motionless" on the floor, his supervisor instructed him and his teammates to "please return to work." Witnesses report that a woman rushed over to the person, distressed, and started performing chest compressions on him. At that moment, Sam, who is certified in CPR, suggested that they should 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 also mentioned that his supervisor, who had tears in his eyes, told him to 'turn around'. "It has to be management or safety team," and to "just turn around and not look. Let's get back to work."
Employees revealed that they were instructed to "turn around and not look" after the man died.
Amazon tried to keep the death hidden
Reports also suggest Amazon attempted to prevent news of the April 6 death from becoming public.
The death is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Amazon's labor practices — in June 2025, the company issued an ultimatum requiring workers to relocate or resign. An Amazon worker, as revealed by Bloomberg, disclosed on the company’s internal messaging system that their supervisor gave them 30 days to choose between relocating or quitting.
Employees were given 60 days to start the relocation process or exit, with those opting to leave losing their severance benefits.
Amazon employees staged a multiday protest from November 28 to December 1, 2025, under the banner #MakeAmazonPay, addressing labor mistreatment, environmental harm, and risks to democracy.