MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (NBC) – Target has become the first major retailer to extend “hero pay” to its hourly employees.
In an email to workers this Monday morning, Target CEO Brian Cornell said the company would extend a number of benefits, including its two-dollar per hour temporary wage increase through July 4th. The increase was implemented on March 20th to all store and distribution center hourly employees.
Many other retailers have let their temporary wage hikes expire.
Cornell wrote the following email to employees:
Good morning team,
I wanted to start the week with a shout-out to all of you. I know I say it every week, but our guests are so appreciative of how Target is showing up for them and their families. Dozens of times per week I see textbook examples of what it means to lead with purpose, and it’s all because of you. Our bond as a team is one of the things that stands out in this moment, to me and to our guests.
As states start to reopen and businesses restart, we can’t lose sight of the fact that it’s going to take time to work through the pandemic. So I wanted you to know that the $2-an-hour temporary pay increase we put in place for our full- and part-time hourly frontline teams will be extended through July 4, two months longer than originally announced. We’ll also continue to provide free backup care for all and a 30-day paid leave if you’re 65 or older, pregnant, or have an underlying medical condition. If you haven’t applied for a leave already, you can now do that through the end of June.
Q1 was unlike any I’ve seen intense, volatile and stressful for our guests and the country. But day after day you’ve risen to meet our guests’ needs, delivering reliable, compassionate and safe service during an anxious time for everyone. In the most challenging circumstances I hope any of us will ever see, you’ve brought incredible optimism, inclusivity, connection, inspiration and drive.
At the outset of the pandemic, we knew there was a long road ahead, that we would have to pace ourselves. These pay and benefits extensions are intended to help you and your family do just that as we all continue to support each other and move forward.
Your efforts on behalf of our guests and communities have been nothing short of stellar, and I can’t thank you enough.
With gratitude, BC
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