Do you get paid for personal leave at Amazon? (Yes! Find out how many…)
Amazon employees enjoy a number of benefits. Since Amazon is one of the fastest-growing employers in the U.S., the amenities of their work environment should be up to par. Having said that, is it possible to take paid time off at Amazon?
This article will explain when and how Amazon will allow its employees to take paid time off. We’ll also discuss details such as how much PTO Amazon allows per year, and whether PTO allocations expire after a certain amount of time.
Are you getting paid time off at Amazon?
Yes, Amazon’s full-time Amazon employees get 5 days of paid time off (PTO), while part-time employees get 2.5 days of paid time off. Over time, the PTO is up to 15 days for full-time employees and 7.5 days for part-time employees.
If you want to learn more about Amazon and PTO, keep reading…
What is Paid Time Off (PTO)?
Paid time off is the time you get paid when you are not working. Companies give PTOs to allow employees some flexibility and comfort in their schedules. Typically, paid time off accrues at the end of each pay period. At Amazon, both hourly and salaried workers earn annualized PTO based on their workload.
According to the Amazon jobs page, eligibility for paid leave depends on the employment category they fall into (part-time, reduced-work, or full-time). The amount you’re eligible for depends on the number of hours you work per week and how long you’ve been with the company.
Obviously, salaried employees can also get paid time off, but the accruals are slightly different than hourly workers. However, the amount you get as a salaried employee still depends on the number of hours you work in a week. You will get more details later in this article.
Amazon employees are also entitled to “personal time.” It’s like vacation time or paid time off, except it’s just time off for employees to take time off from work, not time off specifically from the workplace. If employees do not use vacation time and personal time, they are lost at the end of the year.
How much PTO does Amazon provide in a year?
As mentioned above, paid time off depends on how many hours an employee works in a week. Employees become eligible for approximately 20 hours of PTO per year. This amount increases based on the number of years you have worked with the company:
- Part-time employees (20-29 hours per week) get 20 hours of PTO, or about 2.5 days. This increases over time and reaches a maximum at 7.5 days after 60 hours or 6 years.
- Employees with reduced hours (30-39 hours per week) earn 30 hours, or about 3.75 days. This increases over time and reaches a maximum at 11.25 days after 90 hours or 6 years.
- Full-time employees (40+ hours per week) earn 40 hours, or approximately 5 days. This increases to 120 hours, or 15 days after 6 years.
These rates are calculated annually, and paid time off is calculated per pay period. Some regions (such as California) have different eligibility requirements for paid time off, so this information may not match exactly what is allowed in your region.
As mentioned earlier, salaried employees can also get paid time off. However, they are allowed slightly different hours than hourly workers. Allocations still vary based on hours worked:
- Part-time salaried workers get 40 hours of paid time off, or about 5 days. This adds 80 hours, or 10 days after 6 years.
- A salaried worker on a reduced hour earns 60 hours, or about 7.5 days. This increases to 120 hours, or 15 days after 6 years.
- A full-time salaried worker earns 80 hours, or about 10 days.This increases to 160 hours, or 20 days after 6 years.
Amazon also offers “private time” to its employees. It’s basically just another type of paid leave designed to give employees a break from work. Like PTO, personal time is awarded based on hours worked:
- Part-time employees have 24 hours of personal time, or approximately 3 days.
- Shorten the time employees get 36 hours or about 4.5 days.
- A full-time employee has 48 hours, or about 6 days.
Unlike PTO, the personal time you earn is not affected by your time at the company. Salary workers and hourly workers have the same personal hours. Employees are also entitled to sick leave under “local, city and state ordinances.”
Again, these values will be different in different places. In particular, California’s accumulation rate is different. Check out Amazon’s employee benefits page for more information.
Do Amazon PTOs expire?
When planning a period of time off from work, it can be a bit confusing whether previously unused PTOs will carry over to the next period. Amazon doesn’t allow employees to “extend” their paid time off. This means that if you don’t use vacation time or PTO, they will be lost.
That being said, Amazon also allows employees seven paid vacations per year, independent of their PTO or vacation time:
- New Year
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Memorial Day
- independence Day
- labor day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
These holidays may vary if you work at Amazon outside the US. If you want more information, you must check with your local office to find out when the local holidays are.
Does Amazon allow absences?
Certain eligible Amazon employees can take time off for a number of reasons. These vary by region and type of employment, but generally allow employees to take time off for the birth of a child, death of a family member, military-related obligations, or jury/witness duties. Depending on your circumstances, these leave may or may not be paid.
Hopefully this article has clarified some details about Amazon’s paid leave policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask them in the comments section.
Want to learn more about working at Amazon? Check out these related posts to find out how long does an Amazon background check take and do Amazon employees get discounts?
in conclusion
Full-time Amazon employees start with 6 days of PTO and up to 20 days of vacation, while part-time employees get 2.5 days of PTO.
Once you’ve been with Amazon for 6 years or more, the number of PTOs increases year by year, up to a maximum of 15 days.
