The Germany-based supermarket chain announced a new initiative where they are promising their American employees USD 200 in extra pay for getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
The incentive is meant to cover vaccine-related fees such as travel costs and childcare. Lidl will also ensure that the workers’ schedules are flexible in order to accommodate for vaccination appointments.
Food industry workers, including those working in grocery stores, are considered essential workers by the federal government and will be offered the jab early on.
The announcement was made on Wednesday and comes after chains such as Aldi and Trader Joe’s said that they will compensate their employees for vaccine related costs.
In a statement to FOX Business, a Lidl spokesperson said that the new enticement “exceeds incentives offered by other retailers recently.”
Offers comprehensive medical coverage
It is the newest initiative in a row of healthcare measures being implemented by Lidl on behalf of its employees.
In January 2020 they started offering comprehensive medical coverage to all full and part-time employees, regardless of the number of hours they work per week.
Furthermore, when the pandemic struck in March they developed a program with health insurer CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in order to give all Lidl employees full access to COVID-19 medical coverage at no cost.
80% of employees want the vaccine
According to the company, an internal survey suggests that its employees are eager to get the vaccine with roughly 8 of 10 people indicating that they will do so when they get the chance.
Lidl will also be informing its employees about vaccine availability in their local area in the hopes of motivating as many as possible to get the jab.
Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl US, said in a statement: “We are proud to provide our employees with the resources they need to receive the COVID-19 vaccine free of any obstacles.”
“From the outset of the pandemic, we have worked hard to put the health and safety of our employees first. From offering free COVID-19 healthcare to our entire workforce to installing hospital-grade air filtration in our stores and warehouses to assure cleaner and healthier air, Lidl has made it a priority to adapt our policies to work better for our people during this pandemic. We are proud to do so again today to ensure that every team member who wants to get vaccinated is able to do so as soon as possible.”
Source: #Norway Today, #NorwayTodayNews
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