In the midst of COVID-19 threatening the food supply chain nationwide, Tyson Foods on Wednesday announced new ways the company is supporting the health and financial well-being of its frontline workers.
The company is now offering $120 million in “thank you bonuses” for 116,000 U.S. front-line workers and truckers, up from the $60 million the company initially announced in early April, officials said in a statement. Tyson Foods is also moving up the first $500 bonus payment to early May, with the second $500 bonus to be paid in July.
“This pandemic is ever-evolving, and the decision to make these changes reflects our desire to continuously explore new ways of supporting our team members through this crisis,” Mary Oleksiuk, Tyson’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer, said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our people is our top priority as we work together to fulfill our critical role of feeding people across the country.”
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating that meat processing plants are a crucial part of the U.S.’s infrastructure that needs to remain open. Trump’s declaration followed some of Tyson’s food plants being closed earlier in the month after thousands of workers called out sick.
For the last several weeks Tyson has been checking employee temperatures and practicing social distancing in their plants. But new measures including the required use of company-provided surgical-style masks, additional health screenings and designating monitors at each facility to help enforce social distancing also went into effect Wednesday.
Tyson Foods said the company is also increasing short-term disability coverage to 90% of normal pay until June 30 for employees who are unable to work because they are sick.
Those employees who are ill, or who cannot go to work because of childcare, will continue to qualify for bonuses, but officials said their eligibility will depend on attendance.