Amazon Mandatory Overtime Policy: A Complete Guide!

With over 1.6 million employees, Amazon is among the largest employers in the U.S. Many Amazon employees have is the mandatory overtime policy. Some see it as an advantage, while others see it as a disadvantage. If you are curious and wish to be enlightened more on the topic, this blog post is for you.

When it comes to Amazon’s mandatory overtime policy, many employees have contrasting opinions. To some, working mandatory overtime benefits them financially while leading to burnout and stress for others. Amazon job applicants should therefore be familiar with the policy before they consider applying.

With over 1.6 million employees, Amazon is among the largest employers in the U.S. With such a colossal number of employees; the problems employees face in their day-to-day lives working at Amazon are becoming more apparent. For instance, some employees have complained about the unfavorable working conditions and the intrusive surveillance systems present in the fulfillment centers.

Another primary concern that many Amazon employees have is the mandatory overtime policy. Some see it as an advantage, while others see it as a disadvantage. If you are curious and wish to be enlightened more on the topic, this blog post is for you.

Table Of Contents

Overview of Amazon’s Mandatory Overtime Policy

In March 2016, Amazon introduced a new overtime policy. According to the new policy, every salaried worker working over 40 hours per week is eligible for overtime pay. This affects every salaried employee, whether part-time or full-time. Additionally, all full-time employees have to submit to at least one overtime shift a week.

The policy also favors hourly employees, making them legible for overtime pay. The policy, however, raised the eligibility for hourly employees requiring them to earn less than $50,440 per year. The initial policy required hourly employees to earn less than $47,476 to qualify for overtime pay. Overall, the new policy has been met with mixed reactions from the employees. Some praise it while others criticize it.

Are All Amazon Employees Required To Work Overtime?

Full-time employees are required to work overtime, while part-time employees are not generally required to work overtime as they have regular shifts. The policy, however, affects different employees working in various departments differently. For example, employees working as Amazon Fresh drivers have the freedom to choose their own schedules. On the other hand, warehouse employees must work 8-10 hours a day and an additional 10-20 hours of overtime.

How Much Do Amazon Employees Earn For Overtime?

The Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA) requires that most employees are paid overtime pay 1.5 times the regular hourly rate for all hours exceeding forty in a week. Therefore, employees working overtime get paid 1.5 times their standard hourly wage at Amazon. This implies that an employee earning $10 per hour will get paid $15 per hour for any overtime hours worked. According to the policy, all hours are covered, whether on weekends, holidays, and occasions such as Prime day.

What Happens If An Amazon Employee Misses Scheduled Overtime?

Amazon employees who fail to show up for overtime might face disciplinary action or even gait laid off. Examples of disciplinary measures that might be taken include the removal of the employee’s UPT (Unpaid Personal Time). This means that the employee has less personal and vocational time outside working hours. Employees who miss scheduled overtime might also not be eligible for overtime pay.

New Amazon employees should also be aware that Amazon often organizes overtime hours at the last minute without prior employee knowledge. Therefore, the overtime schedule could be an inconvenience for those employees that had planned on using the time for other activities.

Furthermore, an employee might still be punished even if the reason for missing the overtime hours was unavoidable. However, some managers and supervisors might be forgiving depending on the cause. If you plan to work at Amazon, you should always plan for any overtime schedules to avoid conflicts and inconveniences.

Are There Exceptions For Not Working Overtime At Amazon?

Amazon does not give exceptions to many employees when working overtime. Full-time students are, however, generally exempted. Amazon is not as lenient to parents. If you are a parent, Amazon will not exempt you due to parental obligations such as picking up your children from school or staying at home with the children while the other parent is working. Therefore, new Amazon employees who are parents should be prepared to work overtime hours regularly.

How Many Hours Can Employees Work Overtime At Amazon?

Even though Amazon requires all full-time employees to work overtime, employees cannot work beyond 60 hours of overtime in a single week. In any case, most Amazon employees do not go beyond 10 hours of overtime in a week. Part-time employees can also sign up for overtime via the Amazon employee app. They are, however, still limited to 60 hours of overtime.

Is Overtimes Mandatory For Amazon Employees On Prime Day?

Yes, Amazon requires employees to work overtime on Prime Day. This is also the case when there is a major sales event. During Prime Day, there is an increased demand for products, resulting in an increased workload. Most employees, therefore, understand that they need to work overtime.

Even though it might seem grueling, Amazon offers bonus pay and other benefits to those employees that work overtime on Prime Day. Amazon employees should therefore consider working overtime during Prime Day as it comes with many benefits.

Bottom Line

According to Amazon's new overtime policy in March 2016, all salaried workers working over 40 hours per week are eligible for overtime pay. Hourly employees can also sign up for overtime via the Amazon employee app. However, hourly employees have to earn less than $50,440 to be eligible for overtime pay. All full-time employees must work overtime. Since part-time employees have regular working schedules, they are not generally required to work overtime. Amazon pays employees 1.5 times their standard hourly rate for all overtime hours worked.

The policy covers all hours, whether on weekends, holidays, or Prime Day. Missing overtime hours could land you in trouble. Therefore, employees are advised to make plans keeping in mind that they might get called for overtime hours at the last minute. Even though Amazon makes working full-time mandatory, employees are not allowed to go beyond 60 hours of overtime in a week. Even though some might see the policy as harsh, it brings a tremendous financial benefit to others.