The situation with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is becoming rapidly more concerning with each passing day. Although the infections and deaths are few, it’s likely to increase according to health experts. With panic buying at the grocery stores leaving shelves bare and shutdowns in cities the virus has begun to affect us all. No doubt my fellow Flex drivers are beginning to feel the same concern.
Thankfully Amazon appears to be taking this seriously and has set up a relief fund with an initial $25 million. This will provide support for qualified independent contractors. A recent email to delivery partners reads:
The Amazon Relief Fund, which has a $25 million initial contribution, will support qualified independent contractors and employees of qualified vendors around the world who face financial hardships from qualifying events, such as a natural disaster, federally declared emergency, or unforeseen personal hardship. We will be offering all of these groups the ability to apply for grants approximately equal to up to two weeks of pay if diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine by the government or Amazon. We are working out the details of the fund, including how to request a grant, and will send an update next week.
As soon as more information on how to request a grant becomes available we will review it and provide instructions here.
Our Responsibility as Drivers
Amazon appears to be doing their part to provide support for Flex drivers during this crisis. How well the relief fund will operate remains to be seen, but we are thankful that they’ve had such a fast response to this.
As Flex drivers we’re at an increased risk and we have a responsibility to practice social distancing and suggested practices to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Amazon recommends:
- If you feel sick and/or have a fever, stay home until you’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to disinfect your hands.
- Use a tissue to cover your cough or sneeze and throw the tissue in the trash, then wash your hands. If you don’t have a tissue within reach, cough or sneeze into your elbow.
- Refrain from physical greetings such as handshakes and hugs.
and the CDC guideline can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
We recommend to wear latex gloves while delivering. This not only has potential to prevent the spread of the virus but it will put customers at ease when they see that you’re taking preventative measures.
Remember customers will be increasing on edge during this crisis and it’s important that we as delivery drivers take responsibility and do our part to prevent the spread and to respect the concerns that others are having even if we may not share the same level of concern.
Summary
We will be keeping a close eye on the Amazon relief fund and as soon as details about how to apply for a grant becomes available we will post instructions here so that driver’s can easily find it.
Amazon isn’t always the best at providing clear instructions for new things like this. If there’s confusion about how to apply we hope to be able to clear it up.
The situation regarding COVID-19 has become very serious. Not everyone shares the same level of concern, and that’s okay, but it’s important that we as delivery professionals take the situation seriously and respect the anxieties that others may be having.
We should take extra care when interacting with customers and follow social distancing and prevention guidelines. Since many stores are out of stock on essential items we should do everything we can to ensure that customers receive their packages. Stores are selling out of items such as baby wipes, a package we’re delivering may contain those items. Let’s take extra care to ensure packages are delivered to the correct addresses and out of sight from packages thieves.
Thank you, please be safe. We’ll keep you updated. Appreciate it, flex on!