The controversy surrounding zero hours contracts has seen many high profile employers criticised by union bodies, workers’ organisations and the government alike. At a time when many struggle to earn a living wage, it is widely believed that this method of taking on staff clouds the problem of unemployment and masks the faults still inherent within Britain’s labour market and economy.
Fortunately, e-retailer Amazon has this week revealed plans to take on up to 800 full time workers by the end of the year to coincide with the uptick in business surrounding the Christmas rush. It aims to do this by shaking up shift patterns at its eight regional distribution centres – and has guaranteed that there will not be a zero hours contract in sight.
At present, Amazon has over 4,500 permanent employees in the UK, with a shift pattern based on an eight hour per day, five day per week schedule. However, with these changes, workers will see this altered to a 10 hour per day, four day per week basis, thus giving all workers three days off per week to enjoy leisure pursuits and personal time.
Although the giant of e-tailing will only be taking 800 workers on full time, the Christmas period will see Amazon advertising for more than 15,000 temporary workers to help meet the demands of the Christmas trading period. Temps who prove to be in keeping with Amazon’s business direction will then be offered the chance to interview for one of the 800 permanent positions, thereby taking up a full time role on the new shift pattern going in to the new year.
Amazon’s UK operations director, Catherine McDermott, believes the alteration in business practise will benefit both employees and the company itself.
She says; “Every one of our employees will be working over the Christmas period to delight customers by delivering millions of items on a daily basis and we are pleased to be creating 800 new permanent roles in our centres ahead of the Christmas period.
“Having recently reviewed and improved pay rates and overall compensation package, we are now moving to a four day week which will provide employees with more days of free time and the potential for savings in terms of time and money.”
Do you think the new schedule will prove popular with Amazon’s UK employees, and should other businesses consider implementing a similar shift pattern to allow their workers an extra day off per week?
