Crazy Fines and Non-Stop Work: Belarusians Reveal Hellish Conditions at Wildberries and Ozon Warehouses
12-hour shifts, cold indoors, and fines that eat up earnings — people who have no choice toil.
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“Has anyone worked or is currently working at a WB or Ozon warehouse in Minsk? Is it even worth it?” — this question started one of the posts on Threads. Within a few days, dozens of comments gathered under it. Some write about difficult 12-hour shifts, others about cold indoors and fines that eat up earnings. As it turned out, such working conditions are typical not only for Minsk.
Work at marketplace warehouses in Belarus appears to be one of the most accessible. Job vacancies, which can be found on job search websites, feature wide salary ranges: in Minsk, they promise about 1500–5000 rubles per month, in the regions – approximately 500–4000 rubles. The ads indicate weekly payments and the possibility to work without experience. Duties include: receiving, packing, and sorting goods.
WB Warehouses Near Minsk: 'Dismal Conditions', Everything About Speed, and Fines — a Constant Backdrop
Belarusians who worked at Wildberries warehouses near Minsk frequently report about fines and the dependence of earnings on work pace.
“Conditions are dismal, the feeling at Shchoma (warehouse in Shchamyslitsa. — NN) is as if you are serving a sentence under the supervision of a prison guard. Fines can be minimized if you work carefully and according to regulations. But then your earnings will significantly drop, because everything there operates on speed,” writes one user.
Another commentator from the Minsk region describes her experience:
“To earn at least 2000 rubles, you need to be there 24/7. If you work strictly a five-day week, you'll earn a maximum of about 1000, and it's very energy-consuming. There are fines, and many of them (mostly unjustified).”
Some mention the cold in the warehouse premises and long shifts:
“It's very cold in the warehouse, the loading gates are constantly open to the outside. On average, a newcomer can earn about 100 rubles for a 12-hour shift.”
“I lasted a month. Honestly: the job is crap. They promise golden mountains, but in reality, you're drowning in fines. Endless deliveries, you have to sort them very quickly. Rudeness, indifferent attitude. If a shift worker gets sick, you'll be living at work, because there's no one to replace them. And the schedule isn't 12 hours — it can be 14, or even 16,” writes one participant in the discussion.
“They don't fine you for the first month. I actually quit after a month of work. The pay is very small. For 9 hours of continuous work, only 70 rubles,” a Belarusian woman recounts about the working conditions at the warehouse in Khatyezhyn.
Another frequent theme is 'flexible hours' that are only so in words: comments claim that after starting work, the need for a stricter schedule (like 2/2) becomes apparent, otherwise 'the spot will be given to someone else'.
WB Warehouse in Brest: 'Earned 200 Rubles, With Fines It Came Out to Minus 85'
A discussion also unfolded on Threads about working conditions at the Wildberries warehouse in Brest. One commentator notes that for inspection, they might pay about 20 kopecks per item, but simultaneously:
“Fines fly there for every trifle. If the app lags, they deduct money from you, and you can't prove it's not your fault. Didn't notice a defect — they deduct the cost of that item from you. As a result, you work at a loss, even with a very diligent approach.”
Another participant in the discussion mentions that initially, earnings were paid weekly, but then fines started to 'fly in':
“Came with my earrings — a fine, a ring on my finger — a fine, didn't notice a defect — a fine. It's very cold in the warehouse. After the first salary, I went into debt and worked two weeks just to break even.”
There are quite a few stories about fines:
“I worked for a month recently. The first two weeks were still more or less okay, but then fines started rolling in: small at first, then more and more with each shift. As a result, I earned 200 rubles and should have received them, but they were written off and another fine came — it came out to minus 85. I quit,” they write on social media.
Ozon Warehouses: Strict, Physically Demanding, but More Predictable
In the same discussions, users compare Wildberries with Ozon. Some of them claim that Ozon also has long shifts and physically demanding work, but the system seems more predictable.
“I work for Ozon as a staff member, conditions are more or less okay. Much better than at WB. For outsourced staff, 100–140 rubles per 12-hour shift, four breaks: three 10-minute breaks and 30 minutes for lunch. To the warehouse without jewelry, phones, etc. But the shift supervisors are normal, people are adequate, they'll tell you everything,” they write in the comments.
“Pros: minimal contact with people, money the next day. Cons: you have to fight for goods, fines are mostly for inattention (I didn't have more than 450 rubles in fines per month), 12 hours on your feet running back and forth. If you choose a large warehouse, it's suicide, it's very hard there,” another user explains.
Other reviews from open job review websites also describe Ozon as physically demanding work:
“Work is monotonous, but stable. Instructions exist for everything, salary is paid on time.”
At the same time, they mention strict control and high workload:
“Physically demanding work, noise, high turnover of newcomers, strict rules.”
Compared to Wildberries, users sometimes formulate the difference as follows:
“At Wildberries, the fines are insane. At Ozon, there are fewer of them, but the conditions are also strict.”