Amazon is allowing its corporate employees to avail the work from home option, if their roles permit, till June 2021. Amazon had earlier said that it expected corporate workers to return to office by January next year. An Amazon spokesperson told the media that the extended work from home guidance is applicable for workers worldwide. The move comes amid rising Covid-19 cases worldwide.
"We have invested significant funds and resources to keep those who choose to come to the office safe through physical distancing, deep cleaning, temperature checks, and by providing face coverings and hand sanitizer," an Amazon spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Amazon earlier this month said that 19,816 of its front-line employees in the US tested positive or been presumed positive for the disease.
However, despite facing allegations that its measures put in place to protect workers from Covid-19 were inadequate, Amazon was ranked second by Forbes on its newly released World's Best Employers 2020 list. Samsung Electronics topped the list.
To compile this year's list, Forbes surveyed 160,000 employees from 750 companies in 58 countries around the world and asked them to rate their willingness to recommend their employers to friends and family.
Participants also had to rate their satisfaction with their employers' Covid-19 response, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality, social responsibility, and other factors. "On top of our $15 minimum wage and industry-leading benefits from day one, we've launched new initiatives to continue to support our employees," Beth Galetti, Amazon Senior Vice President of Human Resources, said in a statement.
Amazon employs more than 875,000 people around the world and, since the start of the pandemic, has hired more than 175,000 new employees -- offering new job opportunities to people affected by the economic impact of the pandemic. Amazon said it is spending billions of dollars on Covid-19 related safety measures.
In the wake of rising Covid-19 cases, several technology companies extended work from home timelines. While Twitter in May told its workers that they can continue work from forever if their roles permit, Google later said it would allow its employees to work from home till the middle of next year. Facebook also extended the work from home option for workers till July 2021.