Amazon is investigating allegations of gender bias in its Prime team after Insider reporting

Whole Foods Prime Amazon bags — Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Amazon has opened an investigation into gender-bias allegations made against its Prime team.
The investigation coincided with Insider's reporting about the issue last week.
The case is the latest in a series of gender-discrimination allegations facing the company.
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Amazon has opened an investigation into its Prime team in the wake of internal complaints about gender bias and a hostile workplace culture for women.

The probe, which coincided with Insider's reporting last week, suggests Amazon is taking the allegations seriously. The company's Employee Relations Central Investigations unit told one of the Prime employees who filed a complaint that it was taking ownership of the case, according to an email seen by Insider. The team has asked the person to provide additional information about the issue.

"We appreciate you reporting these concerns and take them seriously," the email said. "Your concerns will be investigated as appropriate." An Amazon spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment.

Last week, Insider reported on what some employees said was a culture of aggressive male-dominated leadership within Amazon's Prime unit. Current and former employees described meetings where male leaders used aggressive language toward women. They also said women received fewer promotions than men, and recent internal company data showed only four out of a total of 41 senior leaders under Jamil Ghani, the vice president of Prime, are women.

When contacted earlier this month for comment, an Amazon spokesperson said the allegations did not reflect the culture of Amazon or the Prime team.

"We have worked hard to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture in which all employees feel supported and successful within the Prime organization," the spokesperson said, adding that the group aimed to double the number of women in leadership roles in 2021.

The allegations are the latest in a series of public accusations about Amazon's workplace culture.

In May, five current and former female employees sued Amazon, alleging "abusive mistreatment by primarily white male managers." In February, Charlotte Newman, a Black Amazon manager, filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination and sexual harassment. And last year, a high-profile female engineer called on the company to fix what she said was a "harassment culture," Insider previously reported.

An Amazon spokesperson said the company investigated the cases, found no evidence to support the allegations, and didn't tolerate discrimination or harassment.

You can read Insider's original story here.

Do you work at Amazon? Contact reporter Eugene Kim via encrypted messaging apps Signal/Telegram (+1-650-942-3061) or email (ekim@businessinsider.com).

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