Benefits

lion investment to grow as the grocer expands.

The opportunity a buy into the company’s medical coverage would be in addition to dental and vision insurance medical benefits that part-time employees working less than 30 hours per week currently receive, according to the release.

The Montgomery County stores opened in September. The store at 1831 E. Ridge Pike in Upper Providence opened Sept. 4; while a store at 2613 Ridge Pike in Lower Providence opened Sept. 18. Other Pennsylvania stores are in Easton, York and Philadelphia, and a second Philadelphia location is expected to open by spring 2020.

Lidl’s announcement this week was met with approval from the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development, Dennis Davin.

“We know that to fully support Pennsylvania workers, we must invest in more than just their education and training; we must also invest in their health and wellness, and we applaud Lidl for doing the right thing by providing healthcare benefits to all employees, no matter how many hours they work,” Davin said in the release. He added that the agency’s goal is to make Pennsylvania a place to “work smart and live happy, and Lidl’s commitment to its workforce will help do just that.”

In May, Lidl announced an expansion plan to open a total of 25 new stores by May 2020.No additional Lidl stores are forecasted for Pennsylvania beyond

“We want our team to have the peace of mind knowing they have healthcare coverage. Giving team members working part-time at Lidl access to medical benefits is incredibly important and it will help them succeed.” — Roman Heini, chairman, Lidl US

those projected to open in 2020, according to the company.

Lidl currently operates 10,800 stores in 32 countries. The company established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington County, Va. in June 2015, and has stores in nine east coast states. For more information, visit www.Lidl.com. Email business story ideas to business editor/ writer drovins@21stcenturymedia.com. spending,” he said.

But former program trustee Blahous says even the current inflation measure is too generous, because it doesn’t take into account that when prices go up, many people look for cheaper goods. “You would be overpaying COLAs,” he said.

Polling shows Americans have doubts about the future of Social Security. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey from February found that 39% of Americans had little or no confidence the program will offer the current level of benefits in five years. Just 24% said they were very confident it would, with another 36% saying they were somewhat confident.

MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO This is a produce section at a Lidl grocery store. The international grocer, which operates 70stores in the U.S., including five in Pennsylvania, has announced it will offer medical benefits to part-time employees. The newest Pennsylvania Lidl stores opened in September — along East Ridge Pike in Upper Providence and along Ridge Pike in Lower Providence, Montgomery County.