Amazon set to offer term-time only working to help parent & grandparent workers

RETAIL titan Amazon is to offer term-time only working to help its parent and grandparent workers.

Warehouse employees who care for school-age children can opt for the 42-week contracts.

The term-time-only arrangement will allow for six weeks off in the summer and two more at Easter and Christmas.

The workers, who sort and pack customers’ online orders, will receive a minimum of £11 an hour and be entitled to full-time benefits such as medical insurance, a company pension and employee discounts.

The move comes as the US-based company resists pay demands by members of the GMB union, following 16 days of strike action since January at its Coventry warehouse.

The GMB has said, while flexible working is welcome, most staff want higher pay.

The union is pushing for an increase to £15 an hour.

Amazon UK’s John Boumphrey said: “Term-time contracts are another great example of how we are using feedback from our people to support them with their childcare needs.”

Liz Sewell, director of Get Ready for Work, which helps to encourage women back into the workplace, said: “This is an interesting and progressive change at Amazon.

“We know many women want to work flexible hours — for those with younger children, term-time working makes so much sense.”