Amazon Christmas Bonus Discrimination

Mitch_B

Hi,

I'd like some advice please.

I recently began a Christmas job working in an Amazon warehouse.

The job is demanding but fine. What smarts though (to say the least) is something I discovered a few days ago. Being on a recruitment agency's email list I was emailed the latest recruitment ads from Amazon which mentioned a not unsubstantial Christmas bonus of £250 dependant on 95% attendance.

This wasn't something I was aware of when I applied so I looked into it.

The short story is I was given a wee bit of a runaround trying to find out about it. I was first told it was only available to employees who worked certain unsocial shifts. Though it turns out that it is available to all employees providing they started work after the initiative was brought in.

Which means that me and the majority of my colleagues don't qualify, whereas newer starts doing the exact same work can find themselves with a healthy extra payment in their Christmas stocking.

What I've established is:

• The bonus is an Amazon initiative although it is facilitated through the recruitment agency who hired me.
• It is only available to employees who began in the past week (I miss out by working there for a few days longer).

I'm quite mad right now that they can seemingly discriminate in this manner. And I really just want to know if there is anything I can do, all advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance

TadleyBaggie

Nope, there is nothing you can do. The company can offer (or not) a bonus payment based on any basis they like.

tomtontom

Short of resigning and reapplying, there's nothing you can do. People can be employed on different terms as long as they do not differ because of a protected characteristic (sex, gender etc).

Flyonthewall

It's not discrimination as it applies to all, it's just bad luck. As already said, nothing you can do.

Mitch_B

Folk are employed on different terms for the same work all the time, true of course. It is discriminatory in favouring new starts but, again of course, nothing illegal. And the need to increasingly incentivize attendance in new employees in the busiest time of year is a motive I understand. I'll look into reapplying as well as simply informing various management levels of the inherent unfairness in the policy.

k3lvc

Mitch_B wrote: »

I'll look into reapplying as well as simply informing various management levels of the inherent unfairness in the policy.

The former is great with no guarantees of success, the latter has a real chance of success of having to look for another job


Good luck and let us know how you get on

SandC

Agree with the others, it's just bad luck unfortunately.

My advice, work hard, keep your head down, make sure your attendance is also spot on and you never know if Amazon will use their discretion to include those of you who just missed out on this incentive by a few days also. They sure as hell won't if you whinge about it.

Flyonthewall

£250 is a nice amount, but it's not something that applies to you and is it really worth causing issues over? They can easily get rid of you.

Is it worth risking your job over a bonus you were never entitled to?

You never know, in the future they may give another bonus that you are entitled to (and possibly that they newest employees aren't).

BuzzyBee77

I know about this and I would suggest not reapplying as the hiring finishes next week and the agency are only looking for people to add to their books now incase any temp staff leave. Personally I think the normal base rate of pay for Amazon should be much higher considering they got away with paying so little tax for so long!

w00519772

You were happy with your terms you signed up to.

Perhaps the company didn't find enough people and therefore improved the terms and conditions (to attract more - who would not of bothered on the original terms - perhaps because they were on similar terms to the original terms elsewhere). Maybe they have attracted people with more experience on the new terms?

I bought some ham from the supermarket yesterday. I went back today and there was two for the price of one. Someone else was taking advantage of this deal. I missed out but there is nothing I can do.

As long as they do not unlawfully discriminate then they have done nothing wrong (it sounds like they have done nothing wrong based on what you said).

If you leave and reapply then they may not want you back i.e. ignore your application? Personally I would just forget about it. It is only £250. Just my opinion.

If you have worked there for less than two years then you have few rights at work. I would be careful about telling management what you think of their policy, unless there is a suggestions scheme where they ask for such comments. Again, just my opinion. I am no expert.