Amazon spends $500m on bonuses for Christmas staff

Amazon is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on bonuses for Christmas staff after sales at the online giant soared during the pandemic.

Full-time warehouse workers in the UK and the US will receive £300 or $300, with £150 or $150 for part-time staff.

The money, $500m in total, will go to staff working between 1-31 December.

The firm, run by Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, praised staff for “serving customers’ essential needs” during the pandemic.

In a blog post, Dave Clark, senior vice president of Amazon Worldwide Operations, wrote: “I’m grateful to our teams who continue to play a vital role serving their communities.

“As we head into the peak of the holiday season, we want to share our appreciation through another special recognition bonus, totalling more than $500 million for our front-line employees.”

The firm has come under intense scrutiny for working practices in its warehouses during the coronavirus pandemic.

Labour activists in the US, for example, recently called on big retailers like Amazon and Walmart to do more to protect workers as surging Covid-19 cases coincide with the holiday shopping rush.

They are calling for hazard pay, paid sick leave and better communication about outbreaks.

Amazon workers have raised concerns about their health and working conditions in Europe as well as in the US, claiming it is almost impossible to practice social distancing.

bbc