Why grocery chains are paying workers to get vaccinated, but other industries are lagging

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Sat, 2021-01-30 13:40 — mike kraft

Why grocery chains are paying workers to get vaccinated, but other industries are lagging Dollar General, Trader Joe’s, Aldi and Lidl, as well as Instacart, are offering bonuses of up to $200, flexible work schedules and paid time off to visit a vaccination site. Jena McGregor, Taylor Telford Washington Post

A number of leading grocery chains are offering small cash bonuses and other incentives to encourage employees to get the coronavirus vaccine, in an effort that experts say could help speed protection of some of the country’s most vulnerable workers: low-paid, hourly retail workers.

Dollar General, Trader Joe’s, Aldi and Lidl, as well as Instacart, have announced plans to promote the vaccine among employees, including flexible work schedules, paid time off to visit a vaccination site and bonuses of up to $200.

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The restaurant industry may also be moving toward incentives. On Tuesday, Darden Restaurants, which employs more than 175,000 workers across Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and many more brands, said it would offer up to four hours of paid time off to get the vaccine.

However, few other companies have followed suit, potentially in part because of legal uncertainties involved with health screening questionnaires leading up to vaccination. ...

Employers characterized the incentives as a way to limit obstacles to getting vaccinated, such as costs of transit, child care and missed time on the job. The average grocery stock clerk makes about $11.31 an hour in base pay, according to PayScale.com. ...

Some employers are devising other ways to encourage vaccinations. Matrix Medical Network, which provides “mobile health clinics” — RV-style vehicles outfitted with medical supplies and staff — will bring the vaccine directly to employees, rather than paying them to take hours off. Tyson Foods is partnering with Matrix to offer the mobile health clinics and vaccine to workers starting early this year. “A lot of the organizations we’re working with are not making people punch out to get the vaccine,” said Daniel Castillo, chief medical officer at Matrix. ...

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