Amazon has announced it will pay over $500 million in one-time bonuses to its front-line employees in the U.S. for working during the holiday season as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the country, Reuters reports.
The company wrote in a blog post that full-time operations workers will receive $300 bonuses and part-time workers will get $150 for the time period from Dec. 1 to Dec. 31.
“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,” Dave Clark, SVP of Amazon Worldwide Operations, said in the post. In June, Amazon spent $500 million on one-time payments to its front-line employees and partners.
Other retailers, like Walmart and Home Depot have paid millions in bonuses to their staff for working during the pandemic, particularly as online shopping saw a massive surge.
Amazon has come under fire over the last few months as U.S. lawmakers and unions believe the company isn’t properly protecting its staff from the virus. Back in April, Amazon employees took part in a massive strike to fight for better safety standards and more hazard work pay amid the pandemic. Workers from Walmart, Instacart, Whole Foods, Target, and FedEx also participated in the protest.
The news comes as Amazon workers plan on staging coordinated Black Friday protests in 15 Countries.
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