Whole Foods' Support for their Employees

This is from the Whole Foods website:

How we are caring for our team members

Our team members are our top priority, and we’ve taken the following steps to support them during this time of uncertainty:

• All part and full-time hourly team members at Whole Foods Market stores and facilities in the U.S. and Canada are receiving an additional $2 per hour on top of their current hourly rate through the month of April. In the U.K., part-time and full-time team members in our stores and facilities will receive an additional 2£ per hour through the month of April.

• All part and full-time hourly team members at Whole Foods Market stores and facilities will receive double their regular hourly base rate of pay for every overtime hour worked in a work week from March 16 – May 3, 2020.

• All team members placed into quarantine or diagnosed with COVID-19 will receive up to an additional two weeks of paid time off, as announced by our parent company, Amazon.

• If they are unable or unwilling to work their scheduled shift, team members have unlimited call-outs during this time.

• Like our full-time team members, all part-time team members are eligible to accrue paid time off.

• We have increased funds available through our Team Member Emergency Fund, which is available to all team members faced with an unforeseeable emergency or critical situation. Amazon has committed an additional $1.6M to support the fund, bringing the total to $3.34M. Every additional voluntary donation to the fund by a team member will be matched 100% by Whole Foods Market.
  • Since it was started by team members decades ago, the Paid Time Off Donation Program has helped thousands of team members in times of crisis and need. It’s one of several resources — including company-funded programs — that are always available to to support team members. The program is voluntary, and the company has not proactively solicited team members to donate in response to COVID.

• We have asked team members to cancel nonessential business travel (both domestic and international).

• We support team members who have jobs based in our regional offices and global headquarters to work from home if they are able.

• We have increased sanitation and cleanliness protocols in meeting rooms, team member gathering spaces and office workstations across all stores, offices and facilities to promote a conducive work environment.

• While it is not currently recommended by the CDC, and the guidance is to preserve these resources for the medical community and those caring for the ill, any team member who wishes to wear a mask while working may do so.