Amazon doubles overtime pay for warehouse workers as demand rises due to coronavirus - CNBC

A worker loads customer orders into a waiting tractor-trailer inside the million-square foot Amazon distribution warehouse that opened last fall in Fall River, MA on Mar. 23, 2017.

John Tlumacki | Boston Globe | Getty Images

Amazon said its doubling hourly wages for its associates working overtime in its U.S. warehouses as demand continues to grow due to the coronavirus.

"All hourly associates working in the U.S. Ops network will receive double their regular hourly rate for every overtime hour worked in a workweek," Amazon said in a statement to CNBC. "This temporary increased overtime pay is effective March 15, 2020, and will continue through May 9, 2020."

Reuters was first to report the news.

Amazon said hourly workers will qualify to receive double pay after 40 hours.

 The announcement follows a similar one on Monday, when the e-commerce giant hiked the hourly rate for associates from $15 to $17, which will remain in effect through the end of April.

Additionally, the e-commerce giant said it has plans to hire 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the U.S. amid a surge in online orders to the coronavirus outbreak.

Amazon encouraged people whose jobs have been lost or furloughed as a result of the massive shut down of restaurants and stores due the outbreak to apply.

 "We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back," Amazon said in a statement Monday.

On Thursday, Amazon temporarily closed one of its warehouses in Queens, New York after a warehouse worker tested positive for coronavirus. It was the first known case of an Amazon warehouse worker in the U.S. Five Amazon workers in Europe have contracted the disease.

On March 15th, Amazon warned customers that its running out of stock on some popular household staples amid the dramatic increase in orders and some delivery times will be longer than usual.

Earlier this month, Amazon also advised its global employees who are able to work from home to do so through the end of the month. It will also provide up to two weeks of pay to all employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine, effective immediately.

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2020-03-21 19:20:10Z
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FAA Temporarily Halts Flights to NY, Philly Airports Amid Virus-Related ‘Staffing Issues’ - NBC New York

The FAA temporarily halted all flights to New York-area airports Saturday afternoon due to "staffing issues" at the New York air route traffic control center.

A trainee at the facility tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.

"A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controller trainee at New York Air Route Traffic Control Center in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., tested positive for COVID-19 today. The trainee has not been at the facility since March 17. We have contacted local health authorities and we are developing a plan to quickly sanitize/clean the affected areas," the FAA said in a statement.

"DUE TO STAFFING ISSUES AT ZNY, PLEASE STOP ALL DEPARTURES TO
AIRPORTS WITHIN ZNY. THIS INCLUDES KJFK, KEWR, KLGA, KTEB, KHPN,
KPHL, KMMU, KCDW, KMDT, KABE, KISP, KFRG AND SEVERAL SMALLER
AIRPORTS," the FAA said in an advisory posted around 1:45 p.m.

The directive also affects Philadelphia International Airport.

Roughly 30 minutes later, the FAA issued a second statement saying the restrictions were mostly lifted, aside from some flights destined for JFK.

An advisory to business aviators, a copy of which was obtained by News 4, said flights in the air were being diverted or sent back to their origin airports, and flights that had taxied were returning to their gates.

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2020-03-21 18:57:27Z
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Exclusive: Amazon raises overtime pay for warehouse workers - Reuters

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Saturday it is raising overtime pay for associates working in its U.S. warehouses, as the world’s largest online retailer tries to meet the rapidly growing demand for online shopping from consumers stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak.

FILE PHOTO: Amazon logo is seen in front of diplayed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in this illustration taken March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

  Hourly workers at the warehouses will receive double pay after 40 hours for overtime, up from the 1.5-times rate, from March 15 to May 9, the announcement said.

“All hourly associates working in the U.S. Ops network will receive double their regular hourly rate for every overtime hour worked in a workweek,” the company said in a statement. “This temporary increased overtime pay is effective March 15, 2020 and will continue through May 9. 2020.”

This is the second time the e-commerce giant announced an improvement in pay for its workers in a week. On Monday, Amazon hiked the hourly rate for associates to $17 from $15 and announced plans to hire 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the United States as the virus outbreak boosts online orders.

As the virus spreads across the United States, Amazon has offered unlimited unpaid time off to encourage employees to stay home if they don’t feel well. It has also staggered workers shifts and prohibited employees from sitting next to each other in the lunchroom to limit contact.

But four Democratic U.S. senators, including Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders on Friday expressed concern in a letter to Amazon’s Chief Executive Jeff Bezos that the world’s largest online retailer has not taken enough measures to protect its warehouse staff. They specifically asked if the company would provide “time-and-a-half” hazard pay for its workers.

Amazon on Thursday reported its first warehouse employee in the United States tested positive for the virus, forcing the company to temporarily shutter a warehouse in New York.

As the virus spreads across the United States, several clothing retailers and department-store chains have shut stores and cafe and restaurant operators have closed down or limited services to delivery and take-away.

Online retailers and grocery stores are trying to capture rising demand as more Americans are ordered to stay at home to reduce the spread of the outbreak.

Rival retailer Walmart Inc said on Thursday it plans to hire 150,000 hourly associates in the U.S. and announced $550 million in cash bonuses to reward workers.

The highly contagious coronavirus has infected more than 274,800 people across the world and led to more than 11,300 deaths globally forcing governments across the world to issue mass lockdowns of people in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

(The story refiles to add dropped word in seventh paragraph to show Amazon reported first warehouse employee contracted virus on Thursday).

Reporting by Krystal Hu in New York and Rebekah Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Kenneth Li and Diane Craft

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-03-21 17:22:33Z
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Exclusive: Amazon raises overtime pay for warehouse workers - Reuters

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Saturday it is raising overtime pay for associates working in its U.S. warehouses, as the world’s largest online retailer tries to meet the rapidly growing demand for online shopping from consumers stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak.

FILE PHOTO: Amazon logo is seen in front of diplayed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in this illustration taken March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

  Hourly workers at the warehouses will receive double pay after 40 hours for overtime, up from the 1.5-times rate, from March 15 to May 9, the announcement said.

“All hourly associates working in the U.S. Ops network will receive double their regular hourly rate for every overtime hour worked in a workweek,” the company said in a statement. “This temporary increased overtime pay is effective March 15, 2020 and will continue through May 9. 2020.”

This is the second time the e-commerce giant announced an improvement in pay for its workers in a week. On Monday, Amazon hiked the hourly rate for associates to $17 from $15 and announced plans to hire 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the United States as the virus outbreak boosts online orders.

As the virus spreads across the United States, Amazon has offered unlimited unpaid time off to encourage employees to stay home if they don’t feel well. It has also staggered workers shifts and prohibited employees from sitting next to each other in the lunchroom to limit contact.

But four Democratic U.S. senators, including Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders on Friday expressed concern in a letter to Amazon’s Chief Executive Jeff Bezos that the world’s largest online retailer has not taken enough measures to protect its warehouse staff. They specifically asked if the company would provide “time-and-a-half” hazard pay for its workers. {nL1N2BE02N]

Amazon on Thursday reported its first employee in the United States tested positive for the virus, forcing the company to temporarily shutter a warehouse in New York.

As the virus spreads across the United States, several clothing retailers and department-store chains have shut stores and cafe and restaurant operators have closed down or limited services to delivery and take-away.

Online retailers and grocery stores are trying to capture rising demand as more Americans are ordered to stay at home to reduce the spread of the outbreak.

Rival retailer Walmart Inc said on Thursday it plans to hire 150,000 hourly associates in the U.S. and announced $550 million in cash bonuses to reward workers.

The highly contagious coronavirus has infected more than 274,800 people across the world and led to more than 11,300 deaths globally forcing governments across the world to issue mass lockdowns of people in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

Reporting by Krystal Hu in New York and Rebekah Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Kenneth Li and Diane Craft

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-03-21 16:41:04Z
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Starbucks is closing its cafes due to coronavirus, with some exceptions - CNN

On its app, the coffee giant said "things are changing, but we're still here for you."

Workers will still be paid for the next month even if they choose to stay home, Rossann Williams, Starbucks' executive vice president and president of US business and Canada wrote in a letter published Friday. She noted, "Our cafés in some areas are experiencing high traffic, and we need to do more to prevent the spread of this virus."

Starbucks is keeping some of its grocery and drive-through locations open and said cafes serving in or around hospitals and health care centers will remain open "in our efforts to serve first responders and healthcare workers." It's also still offering delivery via Uber Eats in select cities.

"Let's be real. Lattes aren't 'essential.' But in times of crisis, the government asks convenient food and beverage outlets to remain open when possible for pickup, Drive Thru, or delivery," Williams wrote in the letter.

Earlier this month, Starbucks announced measures including limiting seating its stores and suspending the use of personal cups in response to the global pandemic.

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2020-03-21 15:58:00Z
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Starbucks is closing its cafes due to coronavirus, with some exceptions - CNN

On its app, the coffee giant said "things are changing, but we're still here for you."

Workers will still be paid for the next month even if they choose to stay home, Rossann Williams, Starbucks' executive vice president and president of US business and Canada wrote in a letter published Friday. She noted, "Our cafés in some areas are experiencing high traffic, and we need to do more to prevent the spread of this virus."

Starbucks is keeping some of its grocery and drive-through locations open and said cafes serving in or around hospitals and health care centers will remain open "in our efforts to serve first responders and healthcare workers." It's also still offering delivery via Uber Eats in select cities.

"Let's be real. Lattes aren't 'essential.' But in times of crisis, the government asks convenient food and beverage outlets to remain open when possible for pickup, Drive Thru, or delivery," Williams wrote in the letter.

Earlier this month, Starbucks announced measures including limiting seating its stores and suspending the use of personal cups in response to the global pandemic.

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2020-03-21 15:03:59Z
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How to get your Starbucks fix now that coronavirus has closed US stores - CNET

Uber Eats is one delivery option.

Starbucks

Starbucks announced on its COVID-19 blog on Friday that it's closing the doors of nearly every store in the US as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Starbucks cafes are closed in the UK as well. This is the latest step that the coffee chain has taken in limiting the spread of infection. Starbucks said in a statement to "partners" (employees) that stores will remain closed for two weeks or longer.

"We are temporarily closing access to our company-operated cafés and reducing our service to Drive-Thru only in the U.S. for at least two weeks starting Mar. 20," the company said in a blog post. On March 6 Starbucks stopped filling customers' reusable cups and on March 15 it began temporarily shutting retail stores and shifting to a to-go model in the US and Canada. Starbucks will continue to pay employees for the next 30 days even if they stay home. 

If the closure of thousands of stores across the US leaves you wondering how you'll get your next venti extra-hot oat milk hazelnut latte with extra foam, relax. Here's how you can still buy your Starbucks coffee.

You don't have to kick your frappuccino habit yet.

Starbucks Mexico Twitter

Starbucks drive-through windows

While you can't walk into a Starbucks store to order or pick up your drink, you can get it from a location with a drive-through window. Roughly 60% of all Starbucks stores in the US have a drive-thru option, according to a company representative. 

You can either order ahead on your phone's Starbucks app or order when you get to the drive-through. 

To find out where your closest Starbucks Drive-Thru location is, consult the store locator website, which will zero in on your location, or search the Starbucks app. Once you open the app, tap Stores, then Filter (in the top right corner), and select Drive-Thru. Then tap Show stores.

Delivery apps and services

In January, Starbucks announced a partnership with Uber Eats to bring delivery to 49 markets across 33 US states. There's even a dedicated Starbucks mini site within UberEats.com where you can check if delivery exists in your location.

Here are some delivery sites that will bring Starbucks menu items to your doorstep. You'll need to check your area for eligibility and delivery fees may apply. During the coronavirus outbreak, we recommend tipping your delivery driver more.

Now playing: Watch this: Pandemic: Here's what's changed about the coronavirus

5:54

Find the exceptions to the rule

Although most of the country's Starbucks coffee shops are closing, a smattering of shops will remain open. "Some exceptions will be made for those cafes serving in or around hospitals and health care centers in our efforts to serve first responders and healthcare workers," Starbucks wrote in the statement published online.

Non-Starbucks operated stores

It isn't clear if Starbucks stores that aren't operated by the company -- but which use its name and products -- are still be open for take-out orders, for example Starbucks shops in hotel lobbies. If you're nearby one and jonesing for a cappuccino while practicing safe social distancing, it could be worth checking just in case.

Remember that if you do leave the house during the coronavirus crisis, take these 10 practical precautions to help avoid the virus. Stay up to date on the latest news through phone alerts, and keep from feeling lonely with these seven ways to connect with community while you're staying at home.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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2020-03-21 13:23:38Z
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