Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee have announced that they are seeking to fill several temporary positions company wide in order to stock stores amid customers scrambling to buy food and household items during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Wal-Mart announced on Friday that it would be hiring 5000 associates in Illinois to work in its stores, clubs, distribution and fulfillment centers. Current associates were also rewarded for sticking with the company amid the mass buy by giving over $365 million in bonuses to current associates company-wide. Every employee who had been hired by March 1st will receive a bonus on April 2nd. They also announced they would accelerate their quarterly bonus program, adding up to an additional $180 million to associates company wide. Wal-Mart has also enacted an emergency, company-wide sick leave policy for associates who come down with the virus. Associates will be able to take off and have their company attendance policy waived. Quarantined associates will receive two weeks worth of pay. For further details of the new attendance policy, read it at Wal-Mart Corporate here.
Hy-Vee also announced yesterday mass hiring plans for their stores company-wide. Hy-Vee did not announce how many new workers they are looking for but encouraged anyone interested to visit www.hy-vee.com/careers to view openings in their area. They said they would be particularly focused on maintenance crews for cleaning and sanitizing and stockers for their stores. They have not released publicly what they will do for employees who may become sick or have to leave work.