Trailblazer Pacesetter LATE BLOOMER
Company Narrative
Amazon, an online retailer that offers a wide range of consumer products and streaming services, has been ranked a LATE BLOOMER on the Women’s Power and Influence Index.
Amazon is dedicated to equitable pay and has effectively achieved pay parity. Amazon provides upskilling programs such as the Amazon Technical Academy, which empowers women and mothers to pivot into technical and software engineering careers. To further support current employees, Amazon offers paid parental leave as well as fertility treatment and family-building services.
As of 2021, women constitute about 24.7% of the workforce and 40% of the leadership at Amazon.
Information related to the annual review of compensation practices, harassment/discrimination training, DEI training & speakers, and subsidized child care could not be found or did not meet the Index’s criteria standards.
Workforce Profile
Equitable Pay
✓ Does the company demonstrate a clear and transparent commitment to equal pay?
“We are prioritizing pay equity. A review of 2022 compensation, including base pay, cash bonuses, and stock, shows women in the U.S. earned 99.5 cents, and women globally earned 99.6 cents, for every dollar men earned performing the same jobs. Historically marginalized groups in the U.S. earned 99.5 cents for every dollar white employees earned performing the same jobs.” Ref: Pg 57, Amazon Sustainability Report 2022
✘ Does the company perform an annual analysis of gender pay equity and pay disparities?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✓ Do female employees earn at least 95% of what their male counterparts earn?
“We are prioritizing pay equity. A review of 2022 compensation, including base pay, cash bonuses, and stock, shows women in the U.S. earned 99.5 cents, and women globally earned 99.6 cents, for every dollar men earned performing the same jobs. Historically marginalized groups in the U.S. earned 99.5 cents for every dollar white employees earned performing the same jobs.” Ref: Pg 57, Amazon Sustainability Report 2022
Career Growth
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to actively attracting, retaining, and/or promoting women within the organization?
“Increase the number of women in executive (director or above) positions in STEM-focused roles globally by at least 35% in 2022.” Ref: Pg 6, Amazon Sustainability Report 2022
✓ Does the company provide professional development programs designed specifically for female employees?
“Amazon Women in Engineering (AWE) mission is to make Amazon the best place to work for technical women and technical non-binary individuals. With more than 30 chapters at Amazon locations around the world, the group creates networking, training, leadership, and community building opportunities for both employees and interns. The chapters also engage in community outreach to increase the number of young women entering STEM fields. In 2018, this included hosting 4000+ children for Hour of Code.” Ref: Amazon Affinity Groups (Website)
✓ Does the company provide professional development programs designed specifically for diverse employees?
“Amazon’s Black Employee Network’s (BEN) mission is to recruit, retain, and empower Black employees. BEN connects members with mentors and provides career and personal development workshops. BEN also engages with the local and regional chapters of the National Society of Black Engineers, leads recruiting initiatives with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and partners with other organizations. In 2018, two members of the BEN leadership team raised a business idea, which then became their full time jobs. They created a team that launched the black haircare store—Textures & Hues—on Amazon. The concept came out of BEN meetings and led to a plan approved by leadership, new roles for the two BEN leaders, and the creation of a team to support the work.
Asians at Amazon provides a support structure and network for Pan-Asian communities. The group helps recruit, onboard, and connect employees of Asian descent across geographies by sharing experiences and providing access to career development, networking, and community-building opportunities. They also host local community and recruiting events, and participate in the Walk for Rice and Kin On program.” Ref: Amazon Affinity Groups (Website)
✓ Does the company offer a formal mentoring program to support the career advancement of all female employees?
“Invest in upskilling programs , such as our global mentorship program and Amazon Technical Academy , which trains nontechnical employees to transition into software engineering careers. These programs empower mothers and other women who are pivoting into new careers, pursuing higher education, or taking on other challenges.” Ref: Pg 65, Amazon Sustainability Report 2022
✓ Does the company offer a formal mentoring program to support the career advancement of diverse employees?
“Invest in upskilling programs , such as our global mentorship program and Amazon Technical Academy , which trains nontechnical employees to transition into software engineering careers. These programs empower mothers and other women who are pivoting into new careers, pursuing higher education, or taking on other challenges.” Ref: Pg 65, Amazon Sustainability Report 2022
✓ Does the company have policies and programs in place to actively recruit female candidates?
“Reach a diverse pool of talent by partnering with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), women’s colleges, and tribal colleges
Work alongside nonprofits, such as Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and organizations like the Executive Leadership Council, Diversity Woman Media, DeafNation and Afrotech to strengthen recruitment and retention of women, Black, Latino, Indigenous, and disabled talent.” Ref: Amazon DEI
✓ Does the company have policies and programs in place to actively recruit diverse candidates?
“Work alongside nonprofits, such as Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and organizations like the Executive Leadership Council, Diversity Woman Media, DeafNation and Afrotech to strengthen recruitment and retention of women, Black, Latino, Indigenous, and disabled talent.” Ref: Amazon DEI
Work-Life Balance
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to providing support and/or time off for women with children?
“Our employees are recognized for their work through compensation and valuable benefits for themselves and their families.” Ref: Amazon Employee Benefits (Website)
✓ Does the company provide child care support for employees?
“With many options, employees can choose the benefits that are most valuable for their personal situation. This includes child care and eldercare providers. Amazon employees have free access to a network of caregivers, including nannies, babysitters and special-needs caretakers. Employees receive discounts on certain day care centers, and Amazon provides a variety of free resources for parents of children with autism, ADHD and developmental disabilities.” Ref: Amazon Employee Benefits (Website)
✘ Does the company offer subsidized child care?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✓Does the company offer paid maternity leave for birthing parents?
“We celebrate the growth of all our employees’ families through a variety of benefits. We offer up to 20 weeks of paid leave to birthing mothers and six weeks for parents who adopt.” Ref: Amazon Employee Benefits (Website)
✓Does the company provide paid parental leave that extends beyond birthing parents to include surrogacy, adoption, and paternity leave?
“We celebrate the growth of all our employees’ families through a variety of benefits. We offer up to 20 weeks of paid leave to birthing mothers and six weeks for parents who adopt. Our Leave Share program allows employees to give six weeks of paid parental leave to a spouse or partner who isn’t eligible for parental leave from their employer.” Ref: Amazon Employee Benefits (Website)
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to supporting the health benefits of its female employees?
“The perks of working with us don’t stop at great people and exciting projects. We also offer a full range of benefits that support you and your eligible family members, including domestic partners and their children. These benefits include healthcare, ways to save for the future, and options to improve your well-being.” Ref: Amazon Health Benefits (Website)
✓ Does the company offer women-specific health benefits for female employees?
“Certain plans offer additional, personalized support for cancer, diabetes, physical therapy, fertility treatment, and family-building services.” Ref: Amazon Health Benefits (Website)
Workplace Standards
✓ Does the company have a policy listing prohibited behaviors, such as harassment and retaliation?
“At Amazon, we believe that all workers should be treated with respect and dignity. Therefore, we will not tolerate inappropriate conduct, including discrimination or harassment based on sex. The conduct outlined in this policy is unacceptable and, in many cases, also prohibited by law. This policy applies to all Delivery Partners, as well as to the conduct by others involved in our business, such as employees, subcontractors, consultants, clients, customers, or vendors.
Sexual harassment generally consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when (1) submission to or rejection of such conduct is the basis for work decisions affecting a prospective or active Delivery Partner; or (2) such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating a sexually offensive, hostile, or intimidating work environment that interferes with an individual’s ability to perform their work. Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:
- Physical touching or assault, or impeding or blocking movements;
- Unwelcome or unwanted physical contact or sexual advances;
- Requests or demands for sexual favors in exchange for favorable or preferential treatment;
- Sexual jokes or use of sexually explicit language;
- Leering, gestures, or displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons, or posters;
- Derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, or jokes;
- Graphic comments or sexually degrading words;
- Suggestive or obscene messages or invitations.”
Ref: Pg 1, Amazon Harassment Policy
✘ Does the company mandate all employees to undergo harassment and discrimination training?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✓ Does the company have a defined harassment policy that includes promptly addressing reported incidents?
“Amazon will promptly, fairly, and thoroughly investigate any reports of harassment or inappropriate conduct. To the extent possible, the privacy of those involved in any investigation will be protected against disclosure and remain confidential, except as necessary to conduct the investigation. Prompt, corrective action will be taken when appropriate. This action may include temporary suspension or termination of the Delivery Partner’s contract with Amazon, or appropriate action against an Amazon employee or customer who engages in prohibited conduct.” Ref: Pg 1, Amazon Harassment Policy
Stakeholder Engagement
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to helping external stakeholders address gender equality issues?
“As part of that commitment, Amazon has signed the United Nation’s Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Supported by more than 5,000 corporate signatories, the WEPs were established by the United Nations Global Compact and UN Women to offer businesses guidance on ways to promote gender equity and empower women in the workplace and global community.” Ref: Amazon Gender Equity (Website)
✓ Does the company offer and support initiatives that promote gender equality in the community?
“Separately, Amazon is making a $1 million contribution to the Resilience Fund for Women in Global Value Chains. The Resilience Fund pools corporate investments to drive local, women-led solutions to the toughest problems facing women in global value chains. Established by Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), the UN Foundation, and Women Win, the Resilience Fund aims to raise at least $10 million to make strategic, long-term investments in the economic resilience, health, and well-being of women who are foundational to global value chains.” Ref: Amazon Gender Equity (Website)
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to helping internal stakeholders/employees address gender equality issues?
“Caitlin Harren is Amazon’s director of social responsibility and sustainable solutions. She leads a team of supply chain and social responsibility experts that helps to ensure Amazon’s suppliers and partners provide a safe, positive working environment for women across our global value chain.” Ref: Amazon Gender Equity (Website)
✘ Does the company offer equity-focused trainings, speaker programs, or events for employees?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.