Amazon promises up to two weeks of paid sick leave for workers diagnosed with COVID-19

[Polycount]

In brief: Earlier today, we reported on Google's decision to tell all of its North American workers to telecommute instead of coming into the office. The search giant hoped the move would help to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and keep its workers safe and healthy. Now, Amazon is instituting a new coronavirus-related policy of its own, though it's more reactive than proactive.

Moving forward, if an Amazon employee is diagnosed with coronavirus or forced into quarantine, that individual will be given "up to" two full weeks of pay. This policy applies to both full and part-time workers, and it stacks on top of Amazon's recent pledge to offer workers unlimited paid time off if they're asked not to come in due to COVID-19 complications.

In other words, if you get struck with this dangerous illness, Amazon has your back. While the company is not exactly a shining pillar of humane employee treatment, it's tough to deny that this is a remarkably pro-worker move -- if you catch COVID-19, the last thing you want to worry about is paying your rent or feeding your family.

Amazon isn't ignorant to the plight of its contractors and seasonal employees, either. The shopping behemoth is establishing the "Amazon Relief Fund," a $25 million pool of cash intended to support such workers who find themselves "under financial distress" during the COVID-19 outbreak. These individuals won't qualify for the month of paid time off mentioned before, but they can gain access to funds that would be "approximately equal" to two-weeks of pay if they're diagnosed with the virus.

If you're an Amazon contractor suffering from other financial hardships (whether they're related to the COVID-19 outbreak or not), you can still get a helping hand. Natural disasters, federally declared emergencies, and "unforeseen personal hardships" can all qualify you for a "personal grant" amounting to between $400 and $5,000.

We hope to see more policies like this from Amazon in the coming weeks. The COVID-19 outbreak is serious, and it will take a coordinated effort from world governments, corporations, and -- of course -- to overcome it.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/84364-amazon-promises-up-two-weeks-paid-sick-leave.html

 

[Uncle Al]

The big question is, can a person "get well" in as little as two weeks from the virus? Still a welcome idea ...

 

[bviktor]

2 weeks? Is this supposed to be generous in the US?

 

[jbc029]

2 weeks? Is this supposed to be generous in the US?

Yes. And it is.

 

[bviktor]

Yes. And it is.

No, it's really not

 

[Getgone]

I thought in USA company would send thoughts and prayers instead of losing 2 weeks of paid labor.

 

[ShagnWagn]

Dang. So why is it only this version of the flu? People get flu's all the time. Even the common flu is more deadly, and we don't get extra paid time. It is really bad how big of a false fear tactic the media has put in people over something so minor.

 

[TomSEA]

People - it's the flu. Two weeks is plenty to recover from the flu. Out of the 938 Americans who have contracted COVID-19, all but 37 have recovered from it just like any other flu. Those 37 people who have died from it had underlying health problems and except for one person were over the age of 65. Thirty of those deaths were in the state of Washington, and 21 of those were in one assisted-living facility.

I should know, I'm a first responder living and working in Seattle - the American epicenter of the disease.

Two weeks sick leave is a generous offering for recovering from the flu.

 

[gusticles41]

Dang. So why is it only this version of the flu? People get flu's all the time. Even the common flu is more deadly, and we don't get extra paid time. It is really bad how big of a false fear tactic the media has put in people over something so minor.

This comment is not going to age well.

 

[Gotit4cheap16]

2 weeks...thats one check lol

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

This comment is not going to age well.

I think he's right. If it were as bad as everyone were making out the staff at those assisted living facilities would have gotten sick, gone home and gotten their kids sick, who in turn would have spread it to the schools. Teachers would have brought it home, given to their spouses who work in other places around the city and before you know it all of Washington is home sick.
Why didn't that happen? Cause they jumped out in front of it and quarantined everyone? Pretty hard when it takes a week for symptoms to show up. I think it's because this thing isn't that bad.

Earlier today, we reported on Google's decision...

Definitely harder for Amazon than Google. Google's employees sit in front of computers, and working from home is an option. Amazon employees can't pack boxes from their kitchen table (yet!).

 

[mctommy]

If it's just like the normal flu and it's not that bad, then why the crisis and the lockdown of all of Italy.

I think he's right. If it were as bad as everyone were making out the staff at those assisted living facilities would have gotten sick, gone home and gotten their kids sick, who in turn would have spread it to the schools. Teachers would have brought it home, given to their spouses who work in other places around the city and before you know it all of Washington is home sick.
Why didn't that happen? Cause they jumped out in front of it and quarantined everyone? Pretty hard when it takes a week for symptoms to show up. I think it's because this thing isn't that bad.

We should wait just like Italy did.

 

[GreenNova343]

2 weeks? Is this supposed to be generous in the US?

It is when it's on top of their normal paid sick/vacation/PTO leave they may have.

 

[Evernessince]

I think he's right. If it were as bad as everyone were making out the staff at those assisted living facilities would have gotten sick, gone home and gotten their kids sick, who in turn would have spread it to the schools. Teachers would have brought it home, given to their spouses who work in other places around the city and before you know it all of Washington is home sick.
Why didn't that happen? Cause they jumped out in front of it and quarantined everyone? Pretty hard when it takes a week for symptoms to show up. I think it's because this thing isn't that bad.


Definitely harder for Amazon than Google. Google's employees sit in front of computers, and working from home is an option. Amazon employees can't pack boxes from their kitchen table (yet!).

You do realize that is likely happening right?

The number of actual corona virus tests performed in the US is abysmal.

Forget the media and everything else, disease experts have already said the spread is inevitable. More not need be said.

 

[Yynxs]

Apparently there is a singular lack of reading going on among some members.
The CDC, not some wacky news source, the CDC says "if you're 60 or older, stay home"
That's not 'the flu'.

in 2014 40% of those over 55 were working or looking for work. That was before Trump and above full employment in the US workforce.

There is this constant comparison to the flu, again I say, the most annually revaccinated disease in the first world. The flu death rate is 0.7 percent against an infected population of: CDC Web Page


And the background 'at risk' population was highly vaccinated FREE OF CHARGE.

The Wuhan coronavirus has zero human interaction resistance built into our genetic structure. The number of infections hasn't touched 10% of the flu infections among A VACCINATED POPULATION.

All of that is aside from common cold coronavirus mutation rates:
The bad news
But also like flu viruses, that doesn’t mean it’s gone.
The “bad” reflects the fact that the number of 2019-nCoV cases and deaths so far suggests that the new coronavirus has a fatality rate around 2%. That’s almost certainly an overestimate, since mild cases aren’t all being counted. But even 2% is less than SARS’ 10% and nowhere near the 37% of MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). On the other hand, seasonal flu kills fewer than 0.1% of those it infects, though that’s still tens of thousands of deaths a year just in the U.S. The global disaster that was the 1917 “Spanish flu” pandemic killed 2.5% (though some estimates exceed 10%).

I received 3 Amazon boxes today alone and 5 yesterday. Paper wrapped so possible virus lifetime in hours. Inside were plastic wrapped items. With Wuhan coronavirus reported today on national tv as living up to 3 days on plastic (that is down from the 9 days or so initially reported) there is cause for concern.

The horrible "upside" to this for millenials is Social Security will probably move back into the black side of the ledger this spring as 60+ seniors are wiped out by people saying it's no worse than the flu and not bothering to try to keep them safe.

 

[dangh]

People - it's the flu. Two weeks is plenty to recover from the flu. Out of the 938 Americans who have contracted COVID-19, all but 37 have recovered from it just like any other flu. Those 37 people who have died from it had underlying health problems and except for one person were over the age of 65. Thirty of those deaths were in the state of Washington, and 21 of those were in one assisted-living facility

Its 2287 now and only because of limited testing capability. 48 deaths. 41 people recovered. 2200 people still are stuck and it will quickly raise up.
Don't tell me as well that flu have 7 pct mortality ratio. This is not like any other flu.

 

[Yynxs]

A little note found while running the Drudge read list today:
"They survived the coronavirus. Then they tested positive again. Why"


Yet another Drudge today: Survivors may suffer from reduced lung function...

Some people may want to take a bit of notice. When the official real deathrates emerge, the younger people may not escape as unscathed as some "official" accounts.