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Walmart plans third cash bonus for U.S. hourly workers

Retail giant announces Walmart U.S., Sam’s Club locations to be closed on Thanksgiving Day this year

Russell Redman

July 21, 2020

3 Min Read
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As part of its bonus plan, Walmart and Sam's Club full-time hourly workers will receive $300, and part-time hourly and temporary workers will receive $150.Walmart

Next month, Walmart plans to pay about $428 million in special cash bonuses to Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club hourly associates for their extra efforts during the coronavirus crisis.

The bonus, Walmart’s third, will be paid out on Aug. 20 to store, club, distribution center (DC) and fulfillment center (FC) associates, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer said Tuesday. Full-time hourly workers will receive $300, and part-time hourly and temporary workers will receive $150. Drivers, managers and assistant managers in stores, clubs, DCs, FCs, and health and wellness locations will be paid a bonus as well.

U.S. associates employed as of July 31 will qualify for the bonus, which is the same as bonuses paid on June 25 and on April 2.

“Our associates have been working at an incredible pace, they’ve solved problems and they’ve set an amazing example for others,” Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner said in a statement. “To further appreciate their incredible work, we are pleased to share another special cash bonus this summer.”

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With this third round of bonuses, Walmart will have paid a total of $1.18 billion in special cash bonuses to associates this year.

Including the $365 million and $390 million paid in the first and second rounds of bonuses, respectively, Walmart will have paid $1.18 billion in special cash bonuses following the latest round. The company added that it also pays a regular incentive to frontline associates on a quarterly basis.

Related:Walmart to pay second cash bonus to U.S. hourly workers

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, I’ve been so proud to see how our associates have pulled together to take care of each other and our members,” said Kathryn McLay, president and CEO of Sam’s Club. “These are extraordinary times, and our associates have lifted each other up in extraordinary ways, and we are so grateful.”

Also on Tuesday, Walmart said it will close Walmart U.S. stores on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. Sam’s Club locations will again be closed on the holiday. The retailer said Walmart U.S. stores and Sam’s Clubs will operate under normal hours on Nov. 25.

“We know this has been a trying year, and our associates have stepped up. We hope they will enjoy a special Thanksgiving Day at home with their loved ones,” Furner said. “We are certainly thankful to our people for all of their efforts.”

Walmart’s latest bonus payment announcement comes as unionized grocery workers continue to call for an extension of hazard pay amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases around the country.

Temporary hourly wage increases for frontline workers at supermarket operators such as The Kroger Co., Albertsons Cos. and Stop & Shop have been phased out as the pay periods have expired and states and municipalities nationwide have begun reopening businesses and public spaces shut during the pandemic. However, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) said in a press conference last week that the threat of the virus hasn’t abated for its members and other grocery store associates, and therefore the hourly hazard pay should be extended. UFCW has said cash bonuses don’t reflect the total hours worked by associates and their potential exposure to the virus.

Related:UFCW, Democratic senators call on retailers to reinstate hazard pay for grocery workers

In the UFCW media event, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) voiced their support of continued hazard pay and said they and 11 other senators sent a letter to Kroger and 14 other leading grocery retailers that call for the supermarkets to extend their hourly hazard pay for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.

For our most up-to-date coverage, visit the coronavirus homepage.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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