Amazon is hiring for more than 15,000 seasonal positions across its UK network of receiving centres, fulfilment centres, sortation centres and delivery stations during the festive season, it said in a post.

UK Operations Director Anil Verma said in the post, “We prepare year-round for the festive season, and we’re excited to have more than 15,000 positions available this year in the UK. Our seasonal colleagues play an integral role in helping us deliver an exceptional experience for our customers.”

Pay for the operations roles starts at a minimum of £13.50 per hour, rising to £14.50 per hour depending on location.

The seasonal roles are in addition to the 75,000 permanent employees Amazon has in the UK, offering competitive wages and benefits.

In September, it was reported that Amazon told staff to return to the office five days a week, ending its hybrid work policy. The change will come into force from January, Amazon’s chief executive Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff.

Amazon’s push to get corporate staff back into the office has been a source of tension within the firm, which employs more than 1.5 million people globally in full-time and part-time roles. 

The e-commerce giant’s stance contrasts with the UK government’s approach, which has promised to make flexible working a default right from day one as part of a new employment rights bill due to be published next month.

According to a survey by professional social network Blind, 91% of Amazon professionals are dissatisfied with Jassy’s decision to require in-office work five days a week beginning in January 2025.

Meanwhile, Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom told the Business Insider, “Amazon presumably took the view they would rather control costs by cutting headcount and take the hit of technology and innovation.”

According to Fortune, the return to office crackdown came in tandem with Jassy calling for a reduction in managers and a bump in the ratio of workers to managers by 15% by the end of 2025’s first quarter.