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Amazon to pay $500m in bonuses worldwide as UK staff earn £300 reward

BRETIGNY-SUR-ORGE, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 20: The logo of Amazon is seen on the facade of the company logistics center on November 20, 2020 in Bretigny-sur-Orge near Paris, France. General Manager of Amazon France, Frédéric Duval, announced the postponement of Black Friday from November 27 to December 4. "Today, like other large French distributors and taking into account the recommendation of the French Government, we have decided to postpone Black Friday if this allows businesses to reopen before December 1 and therefore this year, Black Friday will take place on December 4. " Amazon France confirmed in a statement. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)
Amazon is paying out $500bn in bonuses. Photo: Chesnot/Getty Images.

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.”

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READ MORE: Amazon to create 7,000 new jobs by the end of the year

He said he hoped the announcement would bring “some much-needed holiday cheer for socially distanced families around the world.”

Workers need to have been employed by Amazon between 1 and 31 December to qualify. Clark said spending on special bonuses and incentives worldwide totalled more than $2.5bn in 2020, including another $500m in bonuses earlier this year.

Amazon share prices on the Nasdaq over the past year. Chart: Yahoo Finance UK
Amazon share prices on the Nasdaq over the past year. Chart: Yahoo Finance UK

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.

READ MORE: ‘This is blood money’: US Amazon warehouse staff stage second strike

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.

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