The health and safety of our employees has always been Amazon’s top priority. We work closely with health and safety experts and scientists. We conduct thousands of safety inspections each day in our buildings. And we’ve made hundreds of changes as a result of employee feedback on how we can improve their well-being at work.
Our latest example is WorkingWell, a new program developed by some of Amazon’s 6,200 employees dedicated to global workplace health and safety. WorkingWell uses scientifically proven physical and mental activities, wellness exercises, and healthy eating habits to help recharge and reenergize the body, and ultimately reduce the risk of injury for operations employees.
To help highlight the new program, we’re sharing the stories of three women who support WorkingWell and are helping us with Amazon’s vision to be Earth’s Safest Place to Work.
Leila Brown, workplace health and safety program manager, AmaZen
Almost five years ago, Leila Brown joined Amazon to help develop a health and wellness-focused approach to prevent and heal from injuries. With a background in sports medicine, Brown used her expertise as an athletic trainer and her personal passion in alternative therapies to create AmaZen—a mindfulness practice offered through WorkingWell.
AmaZen focuses on mindfulness exercises and is currently available through self-service kiosks. Employees can watch short videos featuring easy-to-follow well-being activities, including guided meditations, positive affirmations, and calming scenes with sounds.
Brown first rolled out AmaZen as a pilot program in on-site clinic spaces so employees could focus on and improve their health and wellness. To help raise awareness and encourage employee participation, she brought AmaZen to the production floor.
Brown is now brainstorming with fellow Amazon employees who practice mindfulness and yoga to help expand AmaZen.
“At Amazon, I get to do what I love,” said Brown. “Every day I get to use my knowledge and skill set to work with creative people to create something great for employees.”
Brown hopes to continue expanding and growing the program, and to potentially offer it to other companies so their employees can also benefit from the program.
Danielle Roland, Amazon injury prevention specialist
Danielle Roland’s career has long focused on supporting and improving on-site employee health and safety. She worked at several physical therapy clinics across automotive and manufacturing facilities before coming to Amazon, where she was excited to take on a new role and make a positive impact.
With a degree and certification in athletic training, Roland utilizes the latest developments in body mechanics and safety training to support employees. Her work includes helping leaders with Health & Safety Huddles, one-on-one wellness coaching with employees, and designing and adjusting employee workstations for the best ergonomics. Roland plays a critical role in ensuring employees stay safe and healthy.
Roland was an athlete growing up and previously owned a personal training business working with collegiate and high school athletes. She knows first-hand how an injury can change someone’s life, and she now dedicates her time to helping keep people safe.
“Health and physical fitness has always been a big part of my life, as has helping others achieve individual health—whether that’s making sure they stay safe at work or practice healthy at-home wellness,” said Roland. “It’s so rewarding to me. It makes me feel like I have a real purpose.”
Chandni Chandihok, workplace health and safety product manager, WorkingWell mobile app
With a background in customer-facing mobile app development, Chandni Chandihok hadn’t considered a career in employee health and safety. However, when she came across the job listing to join Amazon and create the first-ever Amazon app dedicated to improving the overall well-being of employees, she jumped at the opportunity.
After starting at Amazon last year, Chandihok knew she’d need to dive deep into everything—from fulfillment to delivery—to develop a beneficial app for operations employees. She and her team reviewed feedback from hundreds of employees to see what content and features they’d like, how and where would they would use the app, and more.
Working backwards from what employees needed, Chandihok mapped out the framework of a multi-faceted app that provided content focused on safety, health, and wellness through interactive podcasts, videos, and more.
“Having studied computer science, people may assume I’m more focused on the technology than on employees. But with the WorkingWell mobile app, that’s not the case,” Chandihok said. “I developed this app with employees, for employees. I want to make sure it’s not only easy to use but that it’s beneficial, whether someone is starting their health and wellness journey or continuing their safety education. I care deeply about supporting employees, which is why this is so rewarding for me.”
The WorkingWell mobile app will soon roll out to all U.S. employees providing at-home access to all of the on-site safety, health, and wellness offerings in Amazon buildings. The offerings include AmaZen, EatWell, Mind and Body Moments, and more. Chandihok has designed the app to help facilitate proactive wellness behaviors like stretching and muscle recovery, mindfulness exercises, and body mechanics coaching. Chandihok believes when employees are given the tools to help take care of their holistic wellness at work and at home, they are less prone to injuries.
Brown, Roland, and Chandihok are leading and empowering others at Amazon to improve the safety, health, and well-being of employees no matter where they work or their role at the company.
