Amazon.com on Thursday mentioned greater than 19,000 of its US frontline staff contracted the coronavirus this yr, or 1.44 p.c of the whole, a disclosure sought by labour advocates who’ve criticised the COVID-19 response of the world’s largest on-line retailer. Some employees, elected officers and unions in current months have mentioned Amazon put staff’ well being in danger by conserving warehouses open through the pandemic. Amazon mentioned its charge of an infection was 42 p.c decrease than anticipated when contemplating the virus’ unfold within the normal inhabitants.
Amazon in a blog post inspired different companies to report comparable figures. It mentioned it would broaden virus testing to 50,000 US staff per day by November by means of internally constructed capability.
The disclosure by Amazon gives a uncommon take a look at the illness’s impression on an enormous US employer. Amazon has saved services open to fulfill a surge in demand from buyers caught at house, including temperature checks, social distancing software program and different security procedures.
Athena, a labour and activist coalition, known as on officers to analyze Amazon and for extra common reporting by the corporate in gentle of the information. “Amazon allowed COVID-19 to unfold like wildfire,” coalition director Dania Rajendra mentioned in a press release.
Amazon mentioned that out of its 1,372,000 frontline staff at Amazon and its Entire Meals Market subsidiary, 19,816 examined optimistic or have been presumed to have COVID-19 between March 1 and Sept. 19. The determine contains seasonal employees and people who might have been contaminated outdoors work, it mentioned.
Against this, 33,952 would have contracted the virus had Amazon’s charge equalled that of the overall populace, when accounting for workers’ age and geography, it mentioned.
Minnesota had the best charge with almost 32 infections per 1,000 staff, versus almost 16 for the general public. Amazon has butted heads with a labour group there; it didn’t have touch upon the particular charge.
“This info could be extra highly effective if there have been related knowledge from different main employers to match it to,” Amazon mentioned within the weblog submit, including that it hopes the numbers “will show helpful as states make selections about reopening public services and employers contemplate whether or not and tips on how to carry folks again to work.”
© Thomson Reuters 2020
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