AMAZON warehouse managers say they are breaking down under pressure to work more than 60 hour weeks in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas.

Operations and area managers have written to bosses saying a “crisis” has led to work pressures that risk breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Working Time Directive.

The memo, which was sent to several British executives, including country boss John Boumphrey, says: “This sustained pressure is having a severe and measurable impact on our mental health. 

“Several members of our group have personally experienced stress-related issues and we have witnessed colleagues break down under the strain.

“Although our contracts specify a 40-hour, four-day work week, the reality is we must work on our scheduled days off simply to keep pace.

“During peak and high-volume events (sales and mid-October to the end of December) this expands to five 14-hour days, resulting in weekly totals that can easily exceed 60 hours.”

The letter, which was shared with the Mirror, also claims Amazon had removed a question on its internal employee survey asking “do you feel stressed at work?” 

It suggests an increased number of managers have been leaving the business. 

“We are formally placing this on record to ensure that you cannot claim you were unaware of this crisis,” it adds. 

“The experiences documented in this letter are not isolated incidents, they are systemic issues that affect us all.”

Amazon, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has faced numerous allegations, which it denies, about working conditions in its vast fulfilment centres.

GMB senior organiser Amanda Gearing said today: “Amazon’s reputation is on the floor this Black Friday.

“It’s been a year of revelations about dire working conditions faced by UK Amazon workers, with Amazon’s own managers calling out conditions faced by staff.

“We value our rights here in the UK, it’s no wonder Amazon staff are joining a union in their droves.”

Amazon said: “We pride ourselves in providing a positive, progressive and safe working environment for all our employees.

“Of course, as a responsible employer, we’re investigating the claims made in the letter, and will continue to work with our employees as and when they suggest areas of improvement to us.”