Amazon to give frontline staff $500m in bonuses amid safety concerns
Amazon will give its frontline staff working over the holiday period combined bonuses worth $500m, the firm confirmed today.
The bonus comes at the end of a year in which the e-commerce giant has come under intense scrutiny over working practices for employees amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Sales at the tech firm have soared this year as housebound people increasingly resorted to Amazon to get items delivered.
Frontline staff working between 1 December and 31 December will each receive $300, while part-time staff will get $150.
In a blog post, Dave Clark, senior vice president of Amazon Worldwide Operations, said: “As we head into the peak of the holiday season, we want to share our appreciation through another special recognition bonus, totaling more than $500m for our front-line employees.
“Our teams are doing amazing work serving customers’ essential needs, while also helping to bring some much-needed holiday cheer for socially-distanced families around the world.
“I’ve never been more grateful for—or proud of—our teams.”
The bonuses come on top on another $500m “thank you” pay out made earlier this year.
The announcement comes just after labour activists in the US called on the retailer to do more to protect workers over the Christmas period among a surge in coronavirus cases.
They called for hazard pay, paid sick leave and better communication about outbreaks, among other things.
As a result of the closure of bricks and mortar retail due to the pandemic, sales at Amazon rose 37 per cent to $96.1bn in the three months to 30 September.
And profits hit a record $6.3bn, nearly three times last year’s total.