Amazon is giving paid sick leave to all employees diagnosed with coronavirus
Amazon will give all employees diagnosed with the novel coronavirus or put into quarantine up to two weeks of pay, the company announced today. That includes the company’s part-time warehouse workers, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move follows Amazon’s decision to pay hourly workers who support its campuses even if they’re asked not to come to work due to coronavirus through the end of March, which the company announced last Friday.
Amazon also said it will establish a relief fund to help support its contractors and gig workers who are affected by coronavirus. The company’s independent delivery service partners, Amazon Flex delivery drivers, and other seasonal employees who may experience financial hardship as a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak can apply for grants “approximately equal to up to two weeks of pay” if diagnosed with the novel coronavirus or put into quarantine. Amazon’s initial contribution to the fund, called the Amazon Relief Fund, will be $25 million.
Last week, Amazon said it was “actively supporting employees and contractors on an individual, case-by-case basis” if they were affected by coronavirus, but it wasn’t clear if the company had planned to provide financial support of any kind.
Instacart, DoorDash, Uber, and Lyft have also rolled out new policies to give their gig workers up to two weeks of sick pay if diagnosed with or quarantined because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Postmates is launching a fund that delivery workers can use to pay COVID-19-related medical expenses.
Amazon also says that employees and contractors experiencing financial difficulties from other “qualifying events” like natural disasters or federally declared emergencies can apply for grants from the Amazon Relief Fund ranging from $400 up to $5,000 per person.
Amazon will give all employees diagnosed with the novel coronavirus or put into quarantine up to two weeks of pay, the company announced today. That includes the company’s part-time warehouse workers, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move follows Amazon’s decision to pay hourly workers who support its campuses…
