During his time working as an Amazon delivery driver, Ionut did not receive any payment for annual leave or sick leave and often worked long hours, some of which went unpaid.
When Ionut joined an Amazon Delivery Service Partner (DSP), he expected a demanding but rewarding role. Like many drivers, he anticipated being paid fairly for all the hours he worked, completing routes that could reasonably fit within the working day and having regular, reliable work with reasonable rest breaks and occasional time off.
Instead, after years working as both a delivery driver and later a Team Leader, he says he experienced increasing workloads, inconsistent work and constant operational pressure. His experiences ultimately led him to join our Amazon delivery driver group action.
A role far more demanding than expected
Over several years, Ionut delivered hundreds of parcels every day across residential and commercial routes. As a Team Leader, he also attended meetings with Amazon representatives and DSP management, giving him a broader understanding of how delivery operations were managed and the pressures placed on both DSPs and drivers.
Although delivery routes were often planned for around 8 to 8.5 hours, Ionut says the reality was frequently different.
He said:
“Initially routes were around 8–8.5 hours, but this later increased to around 9.5 hours. The workload increased over time, and there were occasions when managers instructed us to continue working beyond our scheduled route duration in order to complete all deliveries.”
He also recalls regularly spending additional unpaid time travelling to and attending debrief locations after completing his deliveries, where undelivered parcels were handed over before the working day could finally end. There was little time for rest and recuperation, either during or between shifts.
He said:
“The actual working day could also be considerably longer once loading, completing the route, additional travel and attending the debrief location, not necessarily at the depot, were taken into account. We sometimes had to travel to wherever the colleague responsible for collecting the undelivered parcels was located, which added further time to the working day.”
Increasing pressure and unpredictable work
According to Ionut, workloads became progressively heavier over the years, particularly after busy periods such as Christmas, Prime Day and Easter.
While additional payments were sometimes made during peak periods, he says the larger workloads often continued for several weeks and sometimes for around two months afterwards, particularly during January and February, while the additional payment stopped. Eventually, the longer and heavier routes became the normal expectation.
Alongside increasing workloads, he says there was little certainty about weekly income. After busy periods there were often insufficient routes available. Although he was often scheduled to work five days a week, shifts were regularly cancelled at very short notice, sometimes only 30 minutes before he was due to start.
Ionut said:
“It was quite common for one or even two of those shifts to be cancelled on the morning of the shift. These cancelled shifts were unpaid. This made it difficult to rely on a stable income.”
Working under constant operational pressure
Ionut describes a role that involved far more than simply driving between deliveries. Every day required loading hundreds of parcels, repeated lifting and carrying, climbing stairs, locating addresses, completing age-verified deliveries and maintaining strict delivery targets.
He regularly walked between 17,000 and 21,000 steps during a typical shift while handling around 300 parcels which on some occasions, could approach 400 parcels. He says the pressure to complete deliveries often made it difficult to take proper meal or comfort breaks due to a fear of falling behind schedule.
Ionut explained some parcels were labelled as requiring a two-person lift. However, if they were below Amazon’s weight threshold, drivers were still expected to deliver them alone. Refusing these deliveries was not considered a realistic option because the route still had to be completed.
Constant monitoring of performance
Amazon used a scorecard system which meant drivers’ performance was continuously monitored. Returning a parcel to the depot would negatively affect both their individual performance and that of the DSP.
Ionut explained how DSP managers would often send a rescue driver to collect parcels from someone who was falling behind to avoid returning the parcel, meaning many routes. This could make routes appear achievable even though additional driver assistance had been required to complete them.
Why Ionut joined the claim
For Ionut, joining the legal claim was about more than compensation.
He said:
“My intention is not simply to seek compensation. I also want my experience to contribute towards a better understanding of the realities faced by Amazon DSP drivers and, I hope, encourage fairer treatment for drivers in the future.”
He hopes the litigation encourages greater transparency around the level of control exercised by
Amazon in workload allocation, route planning and performance management, while helping improve working conditions for drivers in the future.
He said:
“I want other drivers to know that they are not alone. Many of the issues I have described were regularly discussed between drivers and managers during my employment. Realising that other people had experienced similar problems gave me the confidence to speak about my own experiences.”
Supporting drivers through group litigation
Our team are acting for Amazon delivery drivers who believe they may have been denied important employment rights, including holiday pay, rest breaks and the National Minimum Wage.
Group litigation enables individuals with similar experiences to pursue legal claims together, providing access to specialist legal expertise while ensuring common issues can be investigated collectively.
We have extensive experience representing groups of claimants in complex litigation. We understand that many individuals may be reluctant to come forward alone, which is why collective legal action can provide an effective route to seeking accountability where appropriate.
