SHAREHOLDERPROPOSALS • In 2021, we received the prestigious Green Cross for Safety Innovation Award from the National Safety Council for our innovative Collision Avoidance Technology, which when mounted on fork trucks, enables fork trucks to sense the distance betweenvehicles and people and structures, so the vehicles can slow down or stop to avoid collisions. At the sites wherethis technology has already been deployed, we reduced our fork truck-related recordable incidents by 95% in 2020. Wehaverolled this out at 10 of our sites and are finalizing plans for global implementation. • Bycombiningthesciencebehindhumanbehaviorwithengineeringexpertise, we are producing advanced wearable technology to improve safety in operations. To this end, we invested approximately $10 million into developing special safety vests for employees who work alongside, and maintain, our robotic pods. As another example, we are piloting wearable technology that uses real-time sensory feedback to alert the user of weak body postures and facilitate change inpotentiallydetrimentalhabits.Thepilotwilldeterminetheimpactwearabletechnologiescanhaveonimprovingassociate posture and reducing MSD injury risks. OurBoardIsIntently Focused on Our Employees’ Well-Being and Success Ourcommitmenttosupportouremployeesisdemonstratedbyourcompetitivecompensationandemployeebenefits.We are proud to offer competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, and our high wages have had a positive impact on other 35 wagesinlocal labor markets where Amazon operates and have helped boost local economies across the country. In the United States, the roles in fulfillment and transportation offer an average starting wage of more than $18 an hour—and up to $22.50 per hour in some locations.36 Relatedly, when evaluating 2021 compensation, including base compensation, cash bonuses, and stock, our reported data demonstrates that women globally and in the United States earned 99.8 cents and 99.9 cents, respectively, for every dollar that men earned performing the same jobs, and racial/ethnic minorities in the United States earned 99.2 cents for every dollar that white employees earned performing the same jobs.37 We continue to prioritize pay equity. Additionally, we provide numerous benefits to our employees, including comprehensive medical benefits, a 401(k) plan with aCompanymatch,andupto20weeksofparentalleave(birthparentsareeligibleforupto20weeksofleaveandpartners uptosix).WealsoknowthattheAmericanworkforceischanging—thereisagreaterneedfortechnicalskillsintheworkplace than ever before and a huge opportunity for people with the right skills to move into better paying jobs. Every employee at AmazonalsohasaccesstoninedifferentCompany-fundedupskillingprogramsaspartofAmazon’s$1.2billionUpskilling 2025pledge.38 Programs include Career Choice, an education benefit which fully funds tuition for employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere, including Bachelor’s degrees, industry certifications designed to lead to in- demandjobs,andfoundationalskills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas, and GEDs. We offer graduate-school-level training for our employees through Machine Learning University, a program designed to give current Amazonemployeesthechancetodevelopexpertiseinmachinelearning, growing critical skills in an area of rapidly expandingprofessionalopportunitieswithinAmazon.Wearealsoproudtoofferouremployeestheopportunitytoparticipate in our Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship Program. This program, which is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, provides employees the opportunity to learn skills and technical knowledge needed to fulfill a technical maintenance role within our facilities. Those who complete the first phase of this program see an increase in their wages of up to approximately 40%, and those who complete the second phase see their average wage increase by up to an additional 48%. Moreover, as part of WorkingWell, in partnership with Crossover Health, we have opened numerous Neighborhood Health Centers for employees and their families to access quality, convenient, and affordable healthcare whenever, and wherever, they need it. We also offer U.S. employees and their families access to telehealth and on-demand healthcare services throughAmazonCare,whichallowsthemtoconnectwithadoctorin60secondsorless.In2021,welaunchedanewmental health benefit called Resources for Living, offering free confidential mental health services to U.S. employees, their families, andmembersoftheirhousehold,24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek.39 35 Seehttps://www.aboutamazon.com/news/job-creation-and-investment/study-shows-amazons-wage-increase-to-15-an-hour-also-upped-pay-for-non- amazon-workers. 36 Seehttps://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-announces-plans-hire-125000-employees-hundreds-cities-and. 37 Seehttps://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/our-workforce-data. 38 Seehttps://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/upskilling-commitments. 39 Seehttps://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-introduces-new-mental-health-benefit-all-us-employees-and. 48