Walmart Canada (NYSE:WMT) has announced new cash bonuses for its workers, saying the “appreciation payment” recognizes their ongoing dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move by Walmart Canada follows similar announcements made by other companies in recent weeks and could put pressure on more retailers to offer so-called “hero pay” to essential workers as the second wave of COVID-19 worsens.
Walmart said more than 85,000 employees will receive the additional payment on December 11, with full-time staff expected to receive $250 while part-time staff would receive $150.
In March, the company had provided workers with an appreciation bonus of $200 for full-time workers and $100 for part-timers. It also paid a “thank-you premium” of $2 an hour on top of regular hourly rates for workers in April and May.
The announcement by Walmart Canada that it would pay a December bonus comes a day after Walmart in the U.S. said it would be giving its 1.5 million workers a special bonus.
Pressure has been mounting on essential retailers on both sides of the border to reinstate hero pay or extend bonuses to employees working during the busy holiday season.
UFCW Canada, one of the country’s largest private-sector unions, has called on grocery stores to reinstate the $2-an-hour wage bump for its frontline workers, saying the hero pay acknowledges their courageous efforts.
Sobeys said last week it was bringing back pay premiums for workers in locations where lockdowns are in effect. Each week, eligible Sobeys employees will receive between $10 and $100 extra, depending on how many hours they work and how long the lockdowns last.