Big grocers boost pay for front-liners

Stores installing more protection for ‘heroes’

TORONTO • The three largest grocery chains in Canada announced over the weekend that they will give temporary pay increases to their front line 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 Plexiglas 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 Sobeys, Safeway and FreshCo banners.

“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-an-hour increase for staff who work more than 20 hours in a week. The pay bump will take effect retroactively, on March 8, and the $2 increase will apply only to hours worked after the 20-hour-a-week 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 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 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-perhour increase from March 8.

Metro and Loblaw also announced Saturday that they would put up shields at checkouts to help protect cashiers, an initiative Em

(SHIELDS WILL HAVE) PROBABLY SAVED SOME LIVES AT THE END OF THE DAY.

pire announced last week, which Medline said will have “probably saved some lives at the end of the day.”

Asked if there was a reason all three grocers stuck to variations of the $2 increase, Medline said it was a common figure across the wider industry.

“We’re competitors, but I wish them all the best too. We want to make sure that we’re treating our teammates with respect and that our teammates feel respected,” he said, adding that his team has looked to grocers in harder hit countries like China and Italy for guidance.

“I can tell you that grocers around the world have been incredibly generous with their time to help grocers who are just entering this phase.”

Medline has also heard from a steady stream of Canadian customers, who have found his email or phone number, sending in concerns or suggestions. He heard from a woman who was 29 weeks pregnant and needed help with a gift card issue. And from a group last week that wanted Empire to implement seniors-only shopping hours, which has since been implemented.

“I can’t even tell you how many customers I personally have spoke to or emailed with. That’s the kind of thing that keeps us all going.”

Medline was visiting a store on Saturday, talking to staff who seemed cheerful despite the burden of longer hours and constant cleaning. Once he started talking about his staff, he kept going, jumping from the end of one story directly into the beginning of another.

“I heard a story, this was when the stores were just being ravaged,” he said. One staff member was stocking yogurt in a dairy department and a woman came up to just say thank you.

Medline said the employee “just burst into tears.”