Walmart, the American multinational retail company is paying its employees bonuses which collectively amount to over $700 million. This comes as a compensation for its US employees who kept working amidst the pandemic.
Walmart had to hire more hands to deal with the spike in demand for essential commodities. This led to the company spending billions of dollars in paying these employees to keep their stores fully operational.
The Company is also one of the largest employers in the US, and this is the fourth round of bonuses offered to its workers during the pandemic. The bonus is expected to benefit its 1.5 million strong part-time and full-time workforce in the US.
This move follows similar announcements from Lowe’s, Amazon and Target who extended bonuses to their workers as the number of COVID-positive cases went up in the country. Labour unions have also been instrumental in increasing the pressure on these retail giants to compensate them for extra work during the pandemic rush, as they kept working with the potential risk of getting infected.
This round of cash bonuses will be similar to the previous rounds. Part-time workers at distribution centres or fulfillment hubs will get $150 per head and the full-time workers will receive $300, all on December 24.
The $700 million includes the November 25 bonus that amounted to $319 million. The total amount on bonuses adds up to $2.8 billion this year.
