From our friends at Nautilus:
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, essential workers like grocery store employees have stepped up to do jobs that expose them to hundreds of people per day, thereby putting them at greater risk of contracting the virus. To support their employees during this unprecedented time, companies including Kroger, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Rite Aid, and Albertsons instituted a hazard pay policy, and some have given their employees paid time off to get the COVID vaccine.
However, as the pandemic continues, some companies have begun to lift these policies — including Kroger, which replaced it with a $400 bonus, according to the Washington Post. But a year into the pandemic, COVID-19 infections are still high, and it’s still dangerous to be an essential worker as it was six months ago. In response, some cities have begun passing their own hazard pay ordinances, and Kroger disapproves.
The Guardian reports that Kroger—which owns a variety of supermarket chains and warehouse stores—has been conveniently closing stores in cities that have passed hazard pay ordinances.
Read the rest of the story at Nautilus.