Dive Brief:
- Through an additional $80 million in discretionary bonuses, frontline employees at Lowe's Companies, Inc. stores, distribution centers and call centers in the U.S. will receive a bonus Feb. 5, the home improvement company announced Jan. 28. It will be the seventh bonus or special payment Lowe's has provided to hourly associates amid the coronavirus pandemic, the company said.
- Full-time hourly associates will receive $300, and part-time and seasonal associates will receive $150. Lowe's also plans to hire more than 50,000 seasonal and full-time retail associates. This will build on the more than 90,000 associates hired into permanent roles over the past year, the company said.
- Lowe's offers on-the-job learning with tools for associates, such as an app that provides customized product training in the aisles. The company also offers career advancement opportunities "at all levels," according to the announcement. "We're pleased to provide this additional bonus to support our current associates and excited to welcome these new associates so we can better serve customers across the country," Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe's president and CEO, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Lowe's has rewarded hourly workers in various ways to show gratitude. In 2020, for the month of April, the company temporarily increased wages by $2 an hour for every full-time, part-time and seasonal hourly store, contact center and supply chain associate in the U.S. and Canada.
During the pandemic, employers should provide workers in essential industries opportunities to upskill and reskill, according to experts. Workers in essential industries in North America completed an additional 3 million daily training sessions on Axonify's platform between March and July 2020, according to a report released in August.
Lowe's is also continuing a focus on training and technology. For example, the company's Innovation Lab is developing virtual reality capabilities to teach new skills to associates. In 2019, the company announced the creation of a technology center Charlotte, N.C., planning to add up to 2,000 tech associates. Lowe's is working toward a goal of investing more than $500 million annually through 2021 toward technology transformation, according to the announcement.