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Amazon is extending the work-from - home program for company workers until 2021.
Amazon is extending its work-from - home corporate policy through January of next year. The firm also plans to continue to limit non-essential business travel by the end of the year. Amazon 's decision aligns with that of Facebook and Google, all of which have announced plans for work-from-home that will run to 2020. Microsoft is planning to reopen its offices in phases beginning this October, while Apple is currently deliberating to keep its offices closed through the end of the year, Bloomberg reported earlier this week.
"We continue to prioritize our employees' wellbeing and are pursuing recommendations from local government.
Employees who work in a role that can be done effectively from home are welcome to do so until 8 January, "a spokesperson for Amazon said in a statement. "We have invested substantial funds and resources to keep those who choose to come to the office safe through physical distance, deep cleaning, temperature controls, and the provision of face coverings and hand sanitizer."
This policy applies only to the corporate workforce at Amazon. The company has a large warehouse workforce that has had to work through the pandemic, amongst other hourly and contract workers.
The organization changed its unpaid leave policies in April so that all staff of the distribution center had to start operating on May 1st unless they obtained approval for an extended unpaid leave, which was only to be given if someone has an ongoing health problem or worked with someone who did.
Before that, most employees were still working in Amazon warehouses, but those who wanted to stay home out of fear for their health were allowed to do so. Workers who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have worked closely with someone who has been, are still eligible for two-week paid leave.
Despite these benefits and the company's $4 billion that it will spend fighting COVID-19, Amazon's handling of public health and safety conditions in its warehouses has been under fire over the past few months. A number of factory workers have died from COVID-19, and the company has faced a series of lawsuits from staff and a lawsuit in New York City over what some workers and advocacy groups have described as significant shortcomings in keeping workers safe.
These failures include allegedly not informing some workers when a colleague has been diagnosed with COVID-19, not closing down and cleaning facilities adequately when a workers outbreak has been detected, and not giving workers enough time to wash their hands and sanitize workstations during shifts. Among other measures, Amazon has responded to these criticisms by improving its protections for public health and worker safety and extending hourly increases in salaries for employees.
