Amazon (AMZN) has announced it will hand staff worldwide more than $500m (£374m) in bonuses this year.
The e-commerce giant said full-time staff would receive $300 in the US and £300 in the UK, while part-time workers will receive $150 in the US and £150 in the UK.
Dave Clark, senior vice-president of Amazon Worldwide Operations, made the announcement public in a blogpost overnight.
“I’ve been at Amazon for 22 holiday seasons and this one is definitely unique, to say the least,” he 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, totaling more than $500m for our front-line employees.
Amazon has benefited from stronger demand for goods and home deliveries during the pandemic and government restrictions throughout the year.
The company posted a 37% jump in sales globally in its third-quarter earnings in October.
It announced plans to hire 7,000 permanent staff in the UK in September, after taking on 3,000 in its logistics and delivery teams earlier this year. The company said many posts would be filled by existing temporary workers.
Amazon, founded by the world’s richest man Jeff Bezos, has sought to boost its image after widespread criticism over working practices, including offering tours of its fulfilment centres before the pandemic struck.
The Verdi trade union organised a strike at five Amazon warehouses in Germany this week over pay and conditions, in a move designed to coincide with booming Black Friday trade, according to Reuters.
Source: Reuters
