Workers risk jobs by calling out Amazon

— Hundreds of employees are openly criticizing Amazon’s record on climate change despite what they say is a company policy that puts their jobs at risk for speaking out.

On Sunday, more than 300 employees of the online retail giant signed their names and job titles to statements on blog post on Medium. The online protest was organized by a group called Amazon Employees For Climate Justice, which earlier this month said the company sent letters to members threatening to fire them if they continued to speak to media.

“It’s our moral responsibility to speak up, and the changes to the communications policy are censoring us from exercising that responsibility,” said Sarah Tracy, a software development engineer at Amazon, in a statement.

Amazon said its policy on external communications is not new and is in keeping with other large companies. It said the policy applies to all Amazon employees and is not directed at any group.

“While all employees are welcome to engage constructively with any of the many teams inside Amazon that work on sustainability and other topics, we do enforce our external communications policy and will not allow employees to publicly disparage or misrepresent the company or the hard work of their colleagues,” according to a spokesperson.

Amazon has an enormous carbon footprint. And its workers have been vocal in criticizing some of the company’s practices.

Amazon aid it has already pledged to become net zero carbon by 2040 and use 100% renewable energy by 2030.