Amazon Offers Paid Sick Leave To All Employees Affected By Coronavirus

(RTTNews) - Amazon.com (AMZN) has announced that it will give paid leave for full time and part-time workers diagnosed with coronavirus or placed into quarantine.

"Effective immediately, all Amazon employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine will receive up to two-weeks of pay," the company said in a statement. This is in addition to unlimited unpaid time off for all hourly employees through the end of March.

The company also announced creation of an Amazon Relief Fund, starting at $25 million, to serve as a pool of grant money for independent delivery drivers, seasonal employees and others losing paychecks due to the pandemic.

Amazon partners and seasonal workers will be able to apply for relief fund grants to cover two-weeks' pay "if diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine by the government or Amazon," according to the company.

"Additionally, this fund will support our employees and contractors around the world who face financial hardships from other qualifying events, such as a natural disaster, federally declared emergency, or unforeseen personal hardship.

Amazon has almost 800,000 full-time employees worldwide.