Lowe's Home Improvement announced it is joining a number of other essential businesses to offer pay raises to its frontline employees during a surge of demand amid the spread of COVID-19.
Lowe's said on Thursday that the temporary $2 an hour wage increase will be effective for all full-time, part-time and seasonal hourly associates for the hours they work at Lowe's stores, contact centers and supply chain facilities. The pay raise will remain in effect through the entire month of April.
This is in addition to a one-time bonus that was paid out to employees earlier this week. Lowe's paid its part-time employees $150 and its full-time employees $300.
Lowe's also announced new store hours, with all locations closing at 7 p.m. daily. Lowe's said the early closing time allows employees to replenish essential products and thoroughly clean and sanitize our stores daily.
Lowe's is making masks and gloves available to all associates in the workplace who want them. The company is also installing Plexiglas shields at all points of sale to protect our cashiers and customer service associates working the return desk.
"We are continually working on ways to protect and support our associates and our customers during this time when we are all adjusting how we work and live," said Marvin Ellison, Lowe's president and CEO. "I'm announcing these new operational changes as we continue to keep the health and well-being of our associates and customers top of mind, especially as they look to us now more than ever for essential products, services and support. Today's wage increase for our hourly associates is just another way I want to thank our 300,000 associates for their heroic actions in serving the needs of our communities."
Other companies to offer frontline employees a temporary $2 an hour pay raise include Target, Kroger and Amazon.
Justin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @jjboggs or on Facebook .
