I was hounded by time pressures and huge numbers of packages, so I didn’t have any freedom or ability to exercise my own judgement.

A man in his 30s who used to have a contract with Maruwa, largest of the subcontractors that deliver packages for Amazon Japan. With home deliveries soaring due to the spread of online shopping and rising demand from people staying at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, shipping companies have increasingly outsourced delivery operations to freelance drivers. This enables the companies to reduce costs, as they do not need to shoulder social insurance premiums and other expenses.

© Yomiuri Shimbun