Thousands of Amazon employees demand paid time off to vote

When you receive a package from Amazon, you most likely aren’t thinking about the employees behind the scenes of the packing, distributing and delivering process.

And because Amazon Prime packages arrive at the speed of light, it seems unthinkable that the entire ordeal is not done by machines.

But, Amazon is actually the nation’s second-largest employer, with more than 876,000 workers around the world…and the employees have one request.

Thousands of staffers are reportedly demanding that the company give them time off to vote in November’s presidential election, according to the New York Post.

A petition created within the multinational e-commerce company’s internal network urges Amazon to give all of its U.S employees a paid day – or shift – off so they can properly cast their ballots on or before November 3.

“We are less than a month away from the 2020 U.S. election. I strongly urge the company to provide the entire US employee workforce with a paid day/shift off that can be used anytime between now and Election Day on Nov 3,” the petition, hosted on the company’s ticketing system, reads, according to NBC News.

“This additional day/shift off must be available to all employees every year.”

More than 4,000 tech employees had signed the petition as of Tuesday evening, with some saying Amazon is behind the 8-ball on this particular issue. Companies like Apple, Uber, Facebook and Walmart have already offered time off so their employees can hit the polls, CNBC reported, via the Post.

The petition was launched Tuesday on Amazon’s internal system, which workers can use to request changes to company policies, according to NBC. Some workers expressed concerns that amid the coronavirus pandemic, it would be more difficult for employees to vote and come to work, given the long lines that have already made an appearance around the country due to social distancing.

While Amazon has not yet allocated the day off for all of its employees, the company said employees can request time off to vote on their own.

“In all 47 states with in-person voting, employees that lack adequate time before or after their scheduled workday to vote, can request and be provided excused time off,” Amazon spokeswoman Jaci Anderson told NBC. “The number of hours and pay provided to employees varies by state in line with local laws.”