Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has informed his employees in a letter that he believes things are going to take a turn for the worse before they ge...
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has informed his employees in a letter that he believes things are going to take a turn for the worse before they get any better and reveals the company will hire 100,000 people to meet demands amid the coronavirus outbreak.
'This isn't business as usual, and it's a time for great stress and uncertainty. It's also a moment in time when the work we're doing is its most critical,' the billionaire wrote in the memo shared on his Instagram.
Bezos said: 'Across the world, people are feeling the economic effects of this crisis, and I'm sad to tell you I predict things are going to get worse before they get better.'
He then put a call out for those who have been laid off from their jobs to work for Amazon.
'We're hiring for 100,000 new roles and raising wages for our hourly workers who are fulfilling orders and delivering to customers during this period of stress and turmoil. A the same time, other businesses like restaurants and bars are being forced to shut their doors.
'We hope people who've been laid off will come work with us until they're able to go back to the jobs they had.'
According to Bezos, hourly workers at the warehouses will also receive double pay after 40 hours for overtime, up from the 1.5-times rate, from March 15 to May 9.
'All hourly associates working in the US Ops network will receive double their regular hourly rate for every overtime hour worked in a workweek,' the company said in a statement.
This is the second time the e-commerce giant announced an improvement in pay for its workers in a week.
On Monday, Amazon hiked the hourly rate for associates to $17 from $15 as the virus outbreak boosts online orders.
As the virus spreads across the US, Amazon has offered unlimited unpaid time off to encourage employees to stay home if they don´t feel well.
It has also staggered workers shifts and prohibited employees from sitting next to each other in the lunchroom to limit contact.
Bezos said in the letter that the company has 'implemented a series of preventative health measures for employees and contractors at our sites around the world - everything from increasing the frequency and intensity of cleaning to adjusting our practices in fulfillment centers to ensure the recommended social distancing guidelines'.
He also said the company is trying to secure face masks for employees who cannot work from home.
Bezos noted that masks are in short supply and millions of them are being sent to hospitals and medical centers where they are needed most.
'When our turn for masks comes, our first priority will be getting them into the hands of our employees and partners working to get essential products to people,' Bezos said.
But four Democratic US senators, including Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders on Friday expressed concern in a letter to Bezos that the world's largest online retailer has not taken enough measures to protect its warehouse staff.
They specifically asked if the company would provide 'time-and-a-half' hazard pay for its workers.
Bezos said he is now 'wholly focused on COVID-19' and 'how Amazon can best play its role'.
'I want you to know Amazon will continue to do its part, and we won't stop looking for new opportunities to help.'
Amazon on Thursday reported its first warehouse employee in the US tested positive for the virus, forcing the company to temporarily shutter a warehouse in New York.
Several clothing retailers and department-store chains have shut stores and cafe and restaurant operators have closed down or limited services to delivery and take-away.
Online retailers and grocery stores are trying to capture rising demand as more Americans are ordered to stay at home to reduce the spread of the outbreak.
Rival retailer Walmart said on Thursday it plans to hire 150,000 hourly associates in the US and announced $550million in cash bonuses to reward workers.
The highly contagious coronavirus has infected more than 274,800 people across the world and led to more than 11,300 deaths globally forcing governments across the world to issue mass lockdowns of people in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.
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