Amazon to Hire 100,000 More Workers Amid Coronavirus Demand Surge
By Rebecca Baird-Remba March 16, 2020 6:12 pm
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Amazon (AMZN) plans to hire 100,000 new warehouse workers and delivery drivers as it struggles to keep up with a crush of orders from consumers stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Seattle-based company announced today.
The e-commerce giant will also give its current employees a raise of $2 an hour through April, on top of their current $15-an-hour base pay, along with increases of £2 per hour in the U.K. and €2 per hour in European Union countries.
Last week, Amazon expanded paid sick leave to all of its workers, including part-time warehouse staff, who are affected by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. It also set up a $25 million relief fund for delivery drivers affected by the outbreak. It also relaxed its unpaid time off policy to allow workers to take unlimited paid time off through the end of March.
Brick-and-mortar retailers with a significant e-commerce business are also changing their paid time off policies. Walmart, the country’s largest private employer, has said it would provide paid time off to workers who test positive for the virus or who are subject to mandatory quarantine. Home Depot, Lowe’s and Best Buy announced similar changes to their sick leave policies last week.
