Coronavirus has turned out as a pandemic. It has affected every country around the globe. The severity of this can be analyzed by the fact that the total number of deaths crossed the 1 million mark a few days back. The numbers are still rising and there is no sign of a drop in the growing curve of cases.

Governments of the countries have locked down their respective cities for controlling the spread of the virus. The schools, offices, and many other businesses are closed. People are requested to stay at home and follow all the instructions provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), national, and local health authorities.

Grocery stores and supermarkets are opened so that people can buy everyday essentials. In these difficult times, the doctors, paramedics staff, security workers, and the workers on grocery stores are the true heroes as they are serving the people on a daily basis.

What Kroger is Doing for Employees?

Kroger Co is running the biggest supermarket chain in the United States with some other businesses. The company has always put the employees on top of their priority list. The safety of our employees is important for the company and we are trying our best to keep them safe and reward them as well.

We are going to talk about the bonus given by the company to its frontline associates and the set of instructions given by the company regarding COVID-19. Note that the company has an employee’s portal to keep the employees organized. They can sign up to know about all the latest updates from the companies and initiatives launched by the company for them and regarding the business.

Employee Bonus for Frontline Workers

Employees are the true assets of the company and Kroger company is proving it with their decision to pay the workers bonus for their services. According to the CEO of Kroger, Rodney McMullen, “Our store associates are our true heroes”.

On 21^st March2020 (Saturday) company announced to pay a one-time bonus to all the supply chain, manufacturing, customer service, and frontline grocery associates for their extra effort during this unprecedented time. In addition to this, the supermarket giants have also updated their COVID-19 emergency leave guidelines.

A statement was given by Kroger that they will pay $300 to the full-time employees and $150 to the part-time associates on April 3^rd. They further added that the frontline workers who were hired during the period of March 1^st will also get the payment that will cover the payroll period from 8^th to 28^th March.

CEO Rodney McMullen Statement

A formal statement was given by CEO Rodney McMullen:

During the COVID-19 crisis, proper supply of food and products will be given to customers. The associates will continue their work to keep stores open for valuable customers. He is grateful to all the workers for their effort. The true heroes are our associates and we will be providing them additional resources to support them for their remarkable effort. In our every decision, we try our best to stick to our mission of serving the community whenever they need us along with the safety of our customers, associates, and community.

Coronavirus Emergency Leave Policy

According to the updated coronavirus emergency leave policy, the Kroger employees will get paid time off for the COVID-19 self-isolation once the symptoms are verified by an accreditedhealth care professional.

This move has also expanded the guideline given on March 14. The associates who are diagnosed with the virus or are under quarantine during COVID-19 will get standard pay of 14 days.

The Senior Vice President Tim Massa said that they have updated the emergency leave guideline so that the employees can stay home to recover if they experience symptoms of COVID-19. They should know that they will be supported during this time. We also appreciate our managers who are in touch with the associate’s situation personally. We also want to make things easy for the associates so that they can follow all the guidelines regarding staying at home if they are sick.

Store Safety Measures

The company is taking serious safety measures to protect customers and associates.

1-Limited Customers Number

Kroger Co from April 7^th will reduce the number of customers to 50% according to the international building codes. They will also ensure proper physical distancing in every store. Read the complete press release and related FAQs.

2-Working Hours on Easter Sunday

The Kroger Family of Companies will close early on Easter Sunday, April 12^th for providing more time to associates for rest. The working hours will vary according to the location and market. Working hours detailed are also released.

3-Cleaning and Disinfection

All stores will be following the cleaning and disinfecting protocols that will include the cleaning of commonly used areas, cleaning of all the equipment, and all the high touch surfaces.

4-Protective Barriers

The protective barrier will be installed at the check lanes and Pharmacy counters including The Little Clinic and Starbucks for the protection of customers and associates.

5-Social Distancing

Signs or floor markers at some location will be present for encouraging a proper physical distance between the customers.

Associates Safety and Wellbeing

The steps taken by the company for the associate’s wellbeing and safety are as follows:

• All the associates are directed to wear protective face masks and gloves. We are working with the government to resolve the shortage issues.
• Emergency leaves guidelines are provided as discussed above. According to this, 14-day standard pay will be given to the employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or under quarantine.
• Hero pay, all the frontline grocery, manufacturing, pharmacy, supply chain, and call center associates will get a Hero Bonus of $2 premium added to their standard base pay rate. This will be effective from March 29^th to April 18^th.

Together We Can!

In these difficult times, Kroger Co requests all the community to stand united and follow all the safety guidelines given by the government and health authorities. Together we can!

Visit the website for more details and updates regarding COVID-19.