Amazon remains committed to bringing more women—and parents—back to the workforce with jobs that empower them to succeed and thrive. Amazon FamilyFlex, which may differ by business and employment type, gives employees the resources to create the right balance between home life and work life, including pregnancy and parental leave, adoption assistance, and in select roles, the ability to swap shifts and create custom schedules. The program is a result of feedback from employees on the most effective ways to provide flexibility and support in managing their work and personal lives.
Flexible scheduling for employees
From keeping the same, reliable schedule week after week to swapping a shift at the last minute, Amazon offers employees in select roles a variety of ways to choose and change their schedule. Some of the options available to Amazon employees through the FamilyFlex program, depending on their role and work responsibilities, include:
Brittany Hartso and her daughter, AyannaBrittany Hartso—an employee at Amazon’s Springfield, Virginia fulfillment center—chose a custom schedule of Monday-Friday/8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. so she can drop off and pick up her daughter from school. She also swaps shifts to attend important events and when something comes up last-minute.
“My daughter is involved in a lot of after-school activities, so I usually know weeks in advance when I need to swap shifts," said Hartso. "But for the times I don’t have a heads up—like an unexpected school closure—it gives me comfort to know I don’t have to take time off. I just go in the A to Z app to quickly change my schedule.”
Supporting families with care options and resources
Victoria Le with her son, Elijah, and husband, Viet LeHelping women learn and grow in the workplace is a passion for Victoria Le. An assistant general manager at SLC1 in Salt Lake City, UT, Le founded "Girl Power," a group of Amazon female employees in the Salt Lake City area dedicated to supporting, motivating, and developing current and future Amazon leaders. She recently returned to work from maternity leave after nearly five months of paid parental leave. The benefits Le receives as a site leader are the same as those any U.S. regular, full time employee at Amazon.
As a mentor, leader, and new mom, Le’s advice to women considering taking advantage of Amazon’s parental leave benefit is to know all of the options available to employees. "Amazon offers so many options and flexibility, do what’s right for you," said Le. "Being a working mom is one of the hardest things to do and there’s guilt on both sides. Find what feels right to you and your family and put that first because Amazon will support whatever you decide to do."
One could say, Amazon is a part of Le’s family. Her daughter, Josephine, was born on Le’s five-year anniversary at Amazon. Le also met her husband, Viet Le, while working at an Amazon fulfillment center in St. Louis, Missouri.
It is important for Amazon to support our employees through all stages of their lives. All U.S. full-time employees receive comprehensive benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance, a 401(k) plan with company match, free mental health resources and support, and more. Benefits can vary by location, the number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and job status, such as seasonal or temporary employment. For employees who have or are planning to have a family, Amazon FamilyFlex offers access to:
Julie Murphy with her husband, Kiddrick, and daughter, IlyanaJulie Murphy and her husband Kiddrick Murphy both work at Amazon fulfillment centers in the Houston, Texas area. Amazon's parental benefits made it so that Julie could take five months of paid leave; her husband, Kiddrick received six weeks paid parental leave. Amazon provided Julie with information about the "Ramp Back" program, and she's currently working a shorter shift while acclimating to being a working mom.
"Most jobs only allow about two months of parental leave, but with Amazon, we were taken care of. Our parental leave allowed us to spend precious time with our newborn daughter when she was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital with an irregular heart beat," said Murphy. "She's doing great now, but it was a relief to know we didn't have to worry about work during a very stressful time."
Flexible pay options
Employees have shared there are times when they would like the option to access their earnings without waiting for payday. With “Anytime Pay,” a free, fast pay program, select U.S. employees can transfer the majority of their earnings since their last paycheck to a paycard. The card can be used anywhere that Visa is accepted, like neighborhood grocery stores, and employees can also withdraw cash at participating ATMs and transfer money from their paycard to a regular bank account—all at no cost. The company has tens of thousands of open roles that qualify for Anytime Pay across its U.S. operations network, and more than 150,000 current employees have access to the benefit.
Amazon continues to listen and provide opportunities for full-time and part-time employees. Roles in fulfillment and transportation offer an average starting wage of more than $18 per hour—and up to $22.50 per hour in some locations. In addition to flexible scheduling, the company also provides full-time employees with comprehensive benefits from day one, worth an additional $3.50 per hour. Interested candidates can visit http://www.amazon.com/apply to learn more and apply.
