Kroger is offering to pay any associate who receives a COVID-19 vaccine a $100 bonus as a way to encourage its employees to get the vaccine.The Cincinnati-based company announced Friday that it will provide a one-time payment of $100 to any associate who receives the “full manufacturer-recommended doses” of the vaccine.The associates who receive the COVID-19 vaccine must present proof of vaccination to their human resources representative to receive the one-time bonus. Kroger is giving employees who cannot receive the coronavirus vaccine due to medical or religious reasons the option to complete an educational health and safety course to receive the $100 payment.”Since March, we have invested more than $1.5 billion to both reward our associates and to safeguard our associates and customers through the implementation of dozens of safety measures that we continue to execute today. We’ve also welcomed more than 100,000 new associates to The Kroger Family of Companies,” said Tim Massa, Kroger’s chief people officer. “As we move into a new phase of the pandemic, we’re increasing our investment to not only recognize our associates’ contributions but also encourage them to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as it becomes available to them to optimize their well-being as well as the community’s.”In addition to the $100 vaccine payment, Kroger announced Friday that it will provide an additional $50 million in rewards for associates. This means that hourly employees will receive a $100 store credit and 1,000 fuel points. These rewards will be loaded to employees’ loyalty cards on Thursday.Kroger is encouraging its customers to get the COVID-19 vaccine, too.”We know that the most effective defense against this pandemic comes in the form of the COVID-19 vaccine and the continuation of the rigorous safety precautions we’ve established across our stores, manufacturing facilities and supply chain,” said Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger’s chief medical officer. “We are strongly encouraging all customers and associates to receive the vaccine to curb the spread of COVID-19, and we’ll do all we can to ensure they have access as soon as it’s available.”Meanwhile, the United Food and Commercial Workers, a labor union representing grocery workers, says paying employees for getting the vaccine is an important step, but it feels more needs to be done for associates who have worked during the pandemic, especially in regards to hazard pay.It was announced this week that the Kroger Co. will close two Southern California supermarkets in response to a local ordinance requiring extra pay for certain grocery employees working during the pandemic.The decision announced by the company Monday follows a unanimous vote last month by the Long Beach City Council mandating a 120-day increase of $4 an hour for employees of supermarkets with at least 300 employees nationwide and more than 15 in Long Beach.Kroger said it will close a Ralphs market and a Food 4 Less on April 17, the Press-Telegram reported.“As a result of the City of Long Beach’s decision to pass an ordinance mandating Extra Pay for grocery workers, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close long-struggling store locations in Long Beach,” the company said in a statement.The statement added: “This misguided action by the Long Beach City Council oversteps the traditional bargaining process and applies to some, but not all, grocery workers in the city.”UFCW said in a statement Friday that while the one-time payment is appreciated, “it fails to address safety failures that have allowed COVID grocery outbreaks and recent company action to retaliate against cities mandating hazard pay for its front-line grocery workers.”Kroger cut hazard pay last spring and UFCW has been fighting to get the hazard pay restored for grocery workers since.
Kroger is offering to pay any associate who receives a COVID-19 vaccine a $100 bonus as a way to encourage its employees to get the vaccine.
The Cincinnati-based company announced Friday that it will provide a one-time payment of $100 to any associate who receives the “full manufacturer-recommended doses” of the vaccine.
The associates who receive the COVID-19 vaccine must present proof of vaccination to their human resources representative to receive the one-time bonus. Kroger is giving employees who cannot receive the coronavirus vaccine due to medical or religious reasons the option to complete an educational health and safety course to receive the $100 payment.
“Since March, we have invested more than $1.5 billion to both reward our associates and to safeguard our associates and customers through the implementation of dozens of safety measures that we continue to execute today. We’ve also welcomed more than 100,000 new associates to The Kroger Family of Companies,” said Tim Massa, Kroger’s chief people officer. “As we move into a new phase of the pandemic, we’re increasing our investment to not only recognize our associates’ contributions but also encourage them to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as it becomes available to them to optimize their well-being as well as the community’s.”
In addition to the $100 vaccine payment, Kroger announced Friday that it will provide an additional $50 million in rewards for associates. This means that hourly employees will receive a $100 store credit and 1,000 fuel points. These rewards will be loaded to employees’ loyalty cards on Thursday.
Kroger is encouraging its customers to get the COVID-19 vaccine, too.
“We know that the most effective defense against this pandemic comes in the form of the COVID-19 vaccine and the continuation of the rigorous safety precautions we’ve established across our stores, manufacturing facilities and supply chain,” said Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger’s chief medical officer. “We are strongly encouraging all customers and associates to receive the vaccine to curb the spread of COVID-19, and we’ll do all we can to ensure they have access as soon as it’s available.”
Meanwhile, the United Food and Commercial Workers, a labor union representing grocery workers, says paying employees for getting the vaccine is an important step, but it feels more needs to be done for associates who have worked during the pandemic, especially in regards to hazard pay.
It was announced this week that the Kroger Co. will close two Southern California supermarkets in response to a local ordinance requiring extra pay for certain grocery employees working during the pandemic.
The decision announced by the company Monday follows a unanimous vote last month by the Long Beach City Council mandating a 120-day increase of $4 an hour for employees of supermarkets with at least 300 employees nationwide and more than 15 in Long Beach.
Kroger said it will close a Ralphs market and a Food 4 Less on April 17, the Press-Telegram reported.
“As a result of the City of Long Beach’s decision to pass an ordinance mandating Extra Pay for grocery workers, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close long-struggling store locations in Long Beach,” the company said in a statement.
The statement added: “This misguided action by the Long Beach City Council oversteps the traditional bargaining process and applies to some, but not all, grocery workers in the city.”
UFCW said in a statement Friday that while the one-time payment is appreciated, “it fails to address safety failures that have allowed COVID grocery outbreaks and recent company action to retaliate against cities mandating hazard pay for its front-line grocery workers.”
Kroger cut hazard pay last spring and UFCW has been fighting to get the hazard pay restored for grocery workers since.