Amazon Expands Temperature Checks and Mask Distribution Amid Pandemic Criticism
Facing intense pressure from politicians and employees, Amazon implements daily temperature checks and distributes millions of masks across its U.S. and European facilities. The tech giant also rapidly hires tens of thousands of new workers to meet a massive surge in consumer demand.
Amazon expands its safety measures across U.S. and European facilities as the company faces heavy criticism from politicians and workers over lax coronavirus protections. The tech giant now conducts temperature checks on over 100,000 employees daily, sending anyone with a fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit home until they remain fever-free for three days. This massive health screening effort spans the company's entire operations network and Whole Foods Market stores.
In addition to the daily health screenings, Amazon finally secures and distributes the millions of face masks it ordered weeks ago. The company makes these masks available to all warehouse workers by early next week, while donating any acquired N-95 respirators directly to frontline healthcare workers or offering them at cost to government organizations through Amazon Business.
These heightened safety protocols coincide with a massive hiring push to keep up with a staggering surge in online shopping demand. Amazon fills 80,000 of the 100,000 new positions it recently announced, demonstrating the critical role its delivery and logistics network plays during the global crisis.