Amazon Gives $300 Holiday Bonus To Frontline Workers

Amazon is giving over $500 million in one-time holiday bonuses to its frontline workers to share its appreciation for their hard work amid the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced Thursday.

Full-time U.S. operations employees who worked between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31 would be given a $300 bonus. Part-time employees who work in the same period are eligible to receive a $150 bonus, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Retail Operations Dave Clark confirmed in a blog post.

“I’ve been at Amazon for 22 holiday seasons and this one is definitely unique, to say the least. I’m grateful to our teams who continue to play a vital role in serving their communities,” Clark 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 $500 million for our front-line employees,” he added.

The latest holiday bonus comes months after the e-commerce giant spent $500 million in payments to frontline employees who worked during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first round of bonuses, full-time Amazon employees, Whole Foods Market workers, delivery service and partner drivers were given $500. Part-time employees received $250. The company also awarded each Flex driver who logged more than 10 hours of work in June with $150, Fox Business reported.

The holiday bonus comes days afters workers at Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers called on their employers to reinstate hazard pay ahead of the busy holiday shopping season, which is expected to bring in record sales.

United for Respect, a workers rights group, on Monday called on retailers to grant an extra $5 per hour pay to its employees for the duration of the pandemic, The Washington Post reported.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union also called on major retail chains to protect their workers from COVID-19. At least 131 grocery store workers have died from the virus. Retailers are not required to report infections or deaths to health officials, leading many to believe that the death toll may be higher.

“With more than 1 million new covid-19 cases in the past week, and deaths spiking to unprecedented levels, we are entering what could be the deadliest phase of this pandemic for millions of America’s essential frontline workers,” UFCW President Marc Perrone said.