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What I’ve Been Reading This Week

 

One of the key stories this week relates to Dollar General announcing it would offer its employees four hours of pay to get the coronavirus vaccine.  As many employers (and employees) weigh whether to get the coronavirus vaccine, this development is one to keep an eye on...especially if/when other employers implement a similar policy.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


While Industry Peers Struggle, Chipotle Thrives

This was an interesting article from HRDive that is worth starting things off this week, due in part to it being a bit of good news.  According to the article, Chipotle has continued its expansion and growth during the coronavirus pandemic while many others in the restaurant industry have downsized.  The reason?  In part, the company has placed apparently placed an emphasis on employees including offering a paid parental leave plan and mental health programs for its workers.  As well, Chipotle has been reported to be offering its workers assistance with school expenses, including helping employees obtain their GED.  While no two employers are the same and every benefit offered by one employer does not necessarily translate to others, the growth Chipotle is seeing is likely due in part to how it treats its employees.  This is worth a read for any employer (or HR professional) looking to bolster employee engagement and retention.


Dollar General Offers to Pay Its Employees to Get Vaccine

The Washington Post published an article on Wednesday in which it noted that Dollar General is going to offer its employees four hours of pay to get the coronavirus vaccine.  The company, which operates nearly 17,000 stores in 46 states, noted that it was offering this incentive as a way to help employees cover the cost of childcare and transportation costs in order to get the vaccine.  Will other (large scale) employers follow suit?  I would suspect that Dollar General likely will not be the only one offering this incentive to its employees...especially as the vaccine becomes more widely available.


Canadian Front Line Workers Grapple With Limited Paid Sick Leave

Turning to our friends north of the border, Reuters noted that many workers in Canada are struggling to avoid contracting the coronavirus due in part to limited sick leave being offered.  According to the article, despite Canadian authorities urging people to stay home and work remotely, many workers in the country are unable to do so, in part because approximately 58% of workers in Canada lack adequate paid sick leave.  As a result, many experts point to this being a reason for a growing spread of the coronavirus in the country as workers are forced to return to work due to a lack of paid sick leave.  Will Canadian employers (and/or the government) step in and address the lack of paid sick leave for over half the workforce?  Time will tell...but the clock is ticking.

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