Walmart plans to issue cash bonuses to hourly workers

CNBC's "Squawk Box" team is joined by Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Walmart, to discuss how the company is planning to issue cash bonuses to hourly workers and hire more employees.

Walmart said Tuesday it is deploying an emergency employee leave program as the retailer confirms one of its store associates in Cynthiana, Kentucky, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The infected employee is a woman and Walmart said she is improving with medical care.

The new policy comes as the coronavirus spreads throughout many U.S. states where the retailer operates. Walmart is the nation’s largest private employer with 1.5 million workers in the U.S. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, there are at least 761 cases of COVID-19 that have been diagnosed in the United States, and at least 27 people have died in the U.S. from the virus.

A memo sent to employees from Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner, Sam’s Club CEO Kath McLay and Chief People Officer Donna Morris details the new COVID-19 leave policies.

The retailer also said it has “reinforced our cleaning and sanitizing protocol, and, with the support and encouragement of the state government, the [Kentucky] store remains open.”

“We all know we are in unprecedented times,” Adam Stavisky, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. benefits, told CNBC. “Walmart is looking to see how we can best support our associates ... we are implementing first of our kind benefits for associates.”

There are three major scenarios Walmart outlines for the new emergency leave policy to apply.

The first allows employees to stay home if he or she is unable to work or feels “uncomfortable” at work, by waiving its attendance policy through the end of April. While the normal attendance policy will not be enforced in this circumstance, in order to have the leave paid, associates must use their regular paid time-off options.



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[egyptrouser]

They talking about giving us this but they always give excuses of attendance so we usually don’t get our full bonuses. Half of the time the attendance issues aren’t even our fault

[calvinjones]

its not a 300.00 bunus, taxes take over 80.00 of this, so its a 220.00 bonus. we are over worked and under paid.

[mpeppyr]

Becky and Walmart. You need to supply your in store workers masks, eyewear and gloves.

[jaquariturner]

Work at Walmart they never gave $500 bonus they gave folks $75-200

[shaochiavang]

More than half a trillion dollars ? Lady, Walmart isn't even worth that much.

[MegaMan-bsoy]

AND ITS GONE! They are already ending it just like that :D The rich get richer and the poor die working.

[kurtm]

$150? A majority of their staff is part time.

Dan Bartlett probably uses that as toilet paper.

[-_.Nameyourcatdog._-]

They have about 1.5 million employees in America. So average it out to 200 per employee and that’s $300 million dollars. People act as if most companies do that. Plus their bonus is nice to have so they could giving back $500 million dollars to their employees and I find that to be cool. They could be like toughen up and be happy to have a job but they’re not.

[jonathanrolon]

Why are so many people so negative about this? He could have done nothing at all. Instead he chose give. $150 more or $300 more than each one of those employees would have otherwise received.

[cerebrumexcrement]

that bonus is for all the toilet paper they sold out.

[yoso]

And they will mostly still be part time with little or no overtime pay. Love how corporations are so altruistic.

[MichaelLeeW]

Thank you Walmart as an associate myself it really helps and tells me you care about us

[cryptomon]

we call that hazard pay. have fun opening corona boxes boys

[rockymountainrockhound]

Only places open... Have to become the breeding ground. You people amaze me. 😷

[mysticmessages]

These people are risking their lives and all they want to give them is $300 This is how much his workers are worth

[AngelGuerratherealme]

Is better if they raise they're wages, 50 cent more.

[i_jupiter_l]

$150 was nothing im part time but i work 40+ hours a week and have had customers mistreat me physically and my share pay outs are non existing for me since ive only been working 4 months. Walmart does not care for us.

[marias]

So now they've cut all the associates hours, give the Managers a cut pay for hourly WHILE having higher sales! I'm currently a Walmart associate. Now that they're opening up positions, that gives opportunities for transfer to a different department. Before Covid, some departments paid more. Now they combined departments so the can pay less....it's appalling and ethical WRONG!

[millymarble]

They say they gave us a March 19 bonus Check, i didnt receive one they just lieing to make they self look good in the news lieing get you nowhere i want that money you said you gave us.

[HeyMJ.]

@CNBC Thank you for producing this news segment. And Thank You Walmart for your leadership; supporting employees w/an initial bonus, and ongoing quarterly bonuses.