Big chains boost pay for front-line workers
The three largest grocery chains in Canada announced over the weekend that they will give temporary pay increases to their frontline staff, who have become some of the most celebrated professionals in the COVID-19 crisis.
The pay bumps were among a slate of major changes from Sobeys, Loblaw and Metro that have drastically altered grocery shopping in Canada. More and more stores are now limiting the number of customers allowed inside at a time, installing plexiglass shields to protect cashiers and sticking labels and duct tape on floors to help customers keep a safe distance while waiting in checkout lines.
“We’re working so hard,” said Michael Medline, chief executive at Empire Co.
Ltd., the second largest Canadian grocer behind banners like Sobeys, Safeway and FreshCo.
“Let me just say something to you, we will not spare any expense to keep our stores safe and clean.”
On Sunday, Empire said it would give staff a $50 bonus per week, as well as a $2-anhour increase for staff who work more than 20 hours in a week. The pay bump will take effect retroactively, on
CARLOS OSORIO/REUTERS
March 8, and the $2 increase will apply only to hours worked after the 20-hour-aweek threshold.
Medline said his team was “doing the math” but couldn’t give an estimate on how much the pay raises will cost the company.
Asked whether the increase was sufficient for staff like cashiers — whose jobs now are much higher risk as the outbreak takes hold in Canada — Medline said the $2 per hour figure was common with grocers around the world. The company plans to revisit the “Hero Pay Program”
at the end of April.
“When you look across the world, people are doing different things, but the $2 number seems to be common in certain grocery stores,” he said, adding that he believed the Empire program to be best in class.
“What we tried to do here is make sure that people made more money and felt appreciated.”
The Sunday announcement came a day after both Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and Metro Inc. announced similar, $2-an-hour increases for their staff on Saturday.
Loblaw — the largest grocer in the country behind stores like No Frills and Shoppers Drug Mart, in addition to the Loblaws banner — added a $2 pay increase for existing staff, retroactive to March 8. Metro will also give a $2-per-hour increase from March 8.
Metro and Loblaw also announced Saturday that they would put up shields at check-outs to help protect cashiers, an initiative Empire announced last week, which Medline said will have “probably saved some lives at the end of the day.”