Amazon will raise its minimum wage soon

Amazon, which has faced political and economic pressure to raise pay for thousands of employees, is boosting its minimum wage for all U.S. workers to $15 per hour starting next month.

The e-tailing giant said Tuesday it would increase its minimum wage Nov. 1 to $15 for all U.S. full-time, part-time, seasonal and temporary employees, including temps hired by agencies.

Amazon currently has more than 250,000 Amazon employees, and plans to hire more than 100,000 seasonal employees this holiday season.

A public policy team employed by Amazon will begin pushing for an increase in the U.S. federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

“We intend to advocate for a minimum wage increase that will have a profound impact on the lives of tens of millions of people and families across this country,” Jay Carney, senior vice president of Amazon global corporate affairs, said in a statement.

The company had recently been the target of criticism from Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, who said Amazon doesn’t pay its lower-level employees a fair wage.

“We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead,” said Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos in a statement. “We’re excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us.”

“The current rate … was set nearly a decade ago,” Jay Carney, senior vice president of Amazon Global Corporate Affairs, said in a statement. “We intend to advocate for a minimum wage increase that will have a profound impact on the lives of tens of millions of people and families across this country.”

The minimum wage hike at Amazon comes as it is searching for a home for its second U.S. headquarters, which will employ as many as 50,000 people.

The company has a history of complaints about grueling workplace conditions and lower wages, and has had to deal with lawsuits, picketing and issues with management tactics.

In a 2015 article in The New York Times, employees described a “soulless, dystopian” work environment of long hours and and a lack of empathy for employees’ health-related issues. At the time, Bezos said the story “doesn’t describe the Amazon I know.”

In a memo to employees, he promised to address the situation. “Even if it’s rare or isolated, our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero,” he wrote.

Amazon employee benefits also include healthcare coverage (including medical, dental and vision), up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave, matching 401K retirement plan, tuition assistance for courses “in high-demand fields,” and other career training.

Amazon is also increasing wages in some areas outside the U.S. The company announced that the minimum wage will be 10.50 pounds an hour in London and 9.50 pounds in other parts of the UK. The increases will include 17,000 Amazon employees as well as 20,000 seasonal workers.