Walmart has finalized plans to hire 150,000 new workers before the end of May in the United States and to also pay out about $550 million in bonuses to workers who have been working round the clock to fulfill customers’ orders in the widespread panic created by COVID-19 pandemic. Other businesses such as Amazon, Dollar Tree, 7-Eleven, and Domino’s are also hiring new employees to cater to increased patronage as well.
“We know millions of Americans who are usually employed at this time are temporarily out of work, and at the same time we’re currently seeing strong demand in our stores,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart. “We’re looking for people who see Walmart as a chance to earn some extra money and perform a vital service to their community.”
According to Walmart, they intend to target industry groups representing workers in the restaurant and hospitality sector for temporary hires. The nation’s largest grocer also said many of the new employees will work across company stores, clubs, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers among others. The roles will be temporary at first, but many positions will convert to permanent roles over time, Walmart’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs Dan Bartlett said.
And expedite the hiring process, job applications time will be scaled from the conventional two weeks period to 24 hours. Walmart has about 1.5 million workers in the US and usually increase work hours for employees instead of hiring new staff; but with the stay-at-home order imposed by the government and the panic buying occasioned by the spread of coronavirus, the company believes hiring new workers will be best for meeting increased product demand.
Meanwhile, Walmart is giving out almost $550 million in cash bonuses to its many workers. Part-time hourly workers will be paid $150 bonus and full-time hourly workers will be paid $300. The quarterly bonus that is usually paid to company staff will also be paid out early this time around. “It’s almost like a mini-stimulus package for Walmart associates, Bartlett said.
To keep up with the surge in online orders as people stock up on household essentials, Amazon also announced they are hiring 100,000 new workers. The convenience store giant, 7-Eleven, is also hiring 20,000 new employees “to meet the increased demand for 7-Eleven products and services” while pizza chain Domino’s also planning to employ 10,000 more workers to manage takeout and delivery services.
Source: cnn.com