Amazon to give $500M in holiday bonuses to its front-line U.S. workers

The Amazon logo is pictured outside the company’s JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, U.S. November 25, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Amazon.com Inc. said on Thursday it would spend more than $500 million on one-time bonuses for its front-line employees in the United States who are working the holiday season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full-time operations staff in the United States who are employed by Amazon from Dec. 1 to Dec. 31 will receive a bonus of $300, while those in part-time roles will get $150, the online retailer said in a blog post.

Several retailers, including Walmart Inc and Home Depot Inc, have spent millions in bonuses to compensate staff for catering to a surge in online shopping during the pandemic.

In an earlier round of one-time bonuses in June, Amazon spent $500 million in one-time payments to front-line employees and partners.

The world’s largest online retailer has been facing intense scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and unions over whether it is doing enough to protect staff from the coronavirus.