Dive Brief:
- Amazon announced Oct. 12 that it is creating more than 120,000 jobs this holiday season in 33 states. The mega-retailer is staffing up its sorting centers, fulfillment centers and customer-service sites.
- The employer hopes to attract workers with competitive benefits. Full-time employees have access to health insurance, retirement plans, company stock and disability coverage, in addition to paid leave, reports Business Insider.
- Part-time employees have access to some benefits, including Career Choice, a program that pays for courses in in-demand fields, Business Insider says.
Dive Insight:
Seasonal hiring is serious business — and Amazon, like it often does, is going big. The retailer could see solid wins (as it did earlier this year) thanks to its strong benefits offerings.
Amazon allows employees to share paid leave with their spouse or domestic partner if that individual's employer doesn’t offer paid time off, a creative way to accommodate even hourly employees. The company also gives workers control over their return to work, a forward-thinking approach to supporting working parents.
The company's tuition program is also an interesting approach to dealing with the impending automation revolution. The benefit focuses on upskilling for in-demand jobs, an approach other employers may want to consider.
The benefits also may represent an attempt to come back from a less-than-stellar reputation as an employer. The retailer was the subject of a New York Times exposé that painted its workplace as cutthroat and unforgiving. Amazon’s new focus on workers is apparently one way the company has sought to recover its brand.
