Trader Joe’s is experiencing a significant increase in sales due to the coronavirus outbreak and the company is working to share the extra revenue with its employees.
According to Business Insider, Trader Joe’s is setting up a bonus pool to pay bonuses to store employees. Each location’s bonus pool will be distributed evenly between store employees based on their hours worked during the sales period and how much extra money each store has made in that period.
“We want to acknowledge the incredible hard work and dedication of our Crew Members in supporting each other and our communities by sharing the financial benefit of this sales increase with our store crew who have worked so hard during the past several weeks, and for as long as this challenge remains,” a company memo stated.
The memo came one day after a petition began circulating online, demanding the company give its workers a hazard-pay rate of time-and-a-half and guarantee wages in case of store closures.
“Trader Joe’s workers—from the distribution warehouses to the stores—need hazard pay now,” the petition states. “We are exposing ourselves (and our loved ones) to COVID-19. We aren’t being paid for the extra work we’re doing or the risk we’re undertaking. We’re being told we can’t wear gloves. We are terrified.”
The petition had more than 16,000 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.
The coronavirus outbreak has led to supermarkets across the country experiencing a boost in sales as people collecting and hoarding food has led to empty shelves and long lines.
Due to social distancing guidelines, online orders have also risen significantly.
Amazon is currently looking for up to 100,000 new workers to help deal with the rise in orders and help with delivery. Supermarkets are also changing hours to accommodate the elderly and disabled. Additionally, low wage workers such as delivery workers are also feeling the effects of the virus.
