Whole Foods announced a slew of changes as it works to support its employees while keeping its customers supplied with essentials during the COVID-19 pandemic. The supermarket chain will give its hourly employees a $2-an-hour pay bump, slash its operating hours and provide older customers a special shopping hour.
Whole Foods will provide customers 60 and older the option to shop inside its locations one hour before they open to the general public.
The chain also announced its locations will now close two hours early to provide its employees more time to stock shelves and sanitize the stores. Additionally, Whole Foods locations will also temporarily shut down the self-serve section of the store, which include hot bars, salad bars and antipasti bars. Seated venues inside stores will offer takeout only, and any indoor or outdoor café seating is closed.
Hourly employees will also receive a $2-an-hour pay bump as part of the announcement Amazon made several days earlier.
Employees who are placed in quarantine or have a confirmed case of COVID-19 will have access to two weeks’ paid time off related to coronavirus.
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