Seattle City Wire

Amazon. com issued the following announcement on May 19

Highlights

1. What we are doing for employees

• Our top concern is ensuring the health and safety of our employees, and we expect to invest approximately $4 billion from April to June on COVID-related initiatives getting products to customers and keeping employees safe. This includes spending more than $800 million in the first half of the year on COVID-19 safety measures.
• We've made over 150 process updates—from enhanced cleaning and social distancing measures to new efforts like disinfectant spraying.
• We've distributed personal protective gear, such as masks for our employees, and implemented disinfectant spraying and temperature checks across our operations worldwide.
• Someone diagnosed with COVID-19 will receive up to two weeks of paid time off—this is in addition to their other paid and unpaid time off options.
• We're working on building scalable testing for coronavirus.
• Amazon employees receive comprehensive health benefits starting on day one of employment.
• We increased pay for hourly employees by $2 per hour in the U.S., C$2 per hour in Canada, and €2 per hour in many EU countries.
• We doubled the regular hourly base pay for every overtime hour worked and are offering extra time off with full pay for those diagnosed with COVID-19.
• We established a $25 million relief fund for partners (e.g. delivery drivers) and seasonal associates facing financial hardship or quarantine.

2. What we are doing for customers

• We're providing free masks to all Whole Foods Market customers nationwide.
• We are increasing capacity for grocery delivery from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market as quickly as possible.
• We enhanced cleaning at all Whole Foods Market stores and now open one hour early for customers who are 60+ years old in the U.S. (70+ years old in the UK).
• We're reserving the first hour of grocery pickup at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide for customers 60 years and older, those with disabilities, and those whom the CDC defines as high risk.
• Customers ordering delivery from Prime Now, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market can select "unattended delivery" during checkout.
• We're focusing on high-priority items to ensure the fastest delivery of household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers.
• We're vigorously combating price gouging to help protect customers, help ensure fair pricing, and combat those seeking to profit off the COVID-19 crisis.
• Our Amazon and Alexa devices help keep customers stay connected and informed.

3. What we are doing for communities around the globe

• We launched the $20 million AWS Diagnostic Initiative to accelerate COVID-19 research.
• In Europe, we committed €21 million (almost $23 million USD) to support those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Amazon CEO and Founder Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to Feeding America.
• We've hired 175,000 additional full- and part-time employees.
• We’re working with foodbanks in 25 cities across the country to deliver 6 million meals to underserved and vulnerable populations.
• We’re donating $5 million in Amazon devices globally to those in need.
• We're donating 8,200 laptops to Seattle Public Schools students who do not have access to a device at home.
• Through our Amazon Future Engineer program, we're donating 4,000 laptops to high school students across the U.S. and making new online computer science resources, including exam prep, free.

Daily Updates

Continue checking here for updates about how we're supporting our employees, helping customers, aiding community relief, and furthering research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 19

Amazon Business delivers 100 million critical supplies to healthcare and government organizations at cost

Throughout the COVID‑19 pandemic, the demand for health and safety products has outpaced supply. That’s why Amazon Business created COVID‑19 Supplies, a program offering organizations with the most urgent need—like hospitals and senior living facilities—critical products to fight the pandemic at cost. More than 13,000 healthcare providers and 7,000 government organizations have used COVID‑19 Supplies since it launched in the U.S. on March 31, and the program has expanded to Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and India. Read more.

Amazon Web Services expands Rhode Island’s capacity to process unemployment applications

Rhode Island’s unemployment insurance applications surged 10 times the volume the state’s legacy computer system could handle. With AWS support, the Department of Labor and Training’s website has been able to efficiently process more than 132,000 claims in six weeks. AWS also collaborated with Research Improving People’s Lives, a nonprofit that uses data to inform policymaker decisions, to develop an online application portal that helps the state to verify applicants’ eligibility for benefits and expedite payments. This has enabled Rhode Island to become one of the first states to process Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims.

Original source can be found here.