In recognition of the essential role CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) employees are playing as the country faces the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is awarding bonuses to employees who are required to be at CVS facilities to assist patients and customers in this time of unprecedented need. Bonuses will range from $150 to $500 and will be awarded to pharmacists and certain other health care professionals on the frontlines, store associates and managers, and other site-based hourly employees.
“Our colleagues have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to providing essential goods and services at a time when they’re needed most,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health. “As they continue to be there for the individuals and families we serve, we’re taking extra steps to provide some peace of mind and help them navigate these uncertain times.”
CVS Health is also embarking on the most ambitious hiring drive in the company’s history, with plans to immediately fill 50,000 full-time, part-time and temporary roles across the country. Roles include store associates, home delivery drivers, distribution center employees, and member/customer service professionals. The company will utilize a technology-enabled hiring process that includes virtual job fairs, virtual interviews, and virtual job tryouts. Many roles will be filled by existing CVS Health clients who have had to furlough workers, including Hilton and Marriott.
An influx of talent will help manage capacity for existing employees, who will also benefit from the following changes:
- CVS Health will launch a new offering to help employees with both child and elder or adult dependent care needs. Working with the Bright Horizons network of national in-home and center-based daycare providers, employees will be able to take advantage of up to 25 fully covered days of backup care. This benefit will begin in early April for both full- and part-time employees.
- Full-time CVS Health employees have always had access to paid sick leave. Effective March 22, CVS Health has made 24 hours of paid sick leave available to part-time employees for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paid sick leave is in addition to the 14-day paid leave the company is providing for any employee who tests positive for COVID-19 or needs to be quarantined as a result of potential exposure.
Employee safety has been a focus for CVS Health from the start, and the company has been prioritizing the distribution of protective gear to the hardest-hit areas.
“The health and wellbeing of our colleagues has always come first. We’ve been working around the clock to increase the availability of supplies and update protocols to ensure our stores are safe for colleagues and customers alike,” Merlo stated.
In addition to the measures announced today, CVS Health employees have several resources available to help address financial hardships in times of crisis. This includes access to the Employee Relief Fund, which provides short-term, immediate financial relief in the form of tax-exempt grants.
More information on steps CVS Health has already taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic — including waiving charges for home delivery of prescription medications and making diagnostic testing and Aetna-covered telemedicine visits available with no co-pay — is available at the company’s frequently updated COVID-19 resource center.
