As the coronavirus pandemic continues and many businesses remain closed, some restaurants and stores are offering pay to their employees, even if they’re not working.
Though some Starbucks cafes are closed right now, those with a drive-thru window are open, as are Starbucks in or near hospitals and healthcare centers. And on March 20, Starbucks announced it would be paying all employees for 30 days, regardless of if they chose to work the drive-thru or stay home.
They will also continue to offer mental health and sick pay benefits and childcare support, the company said.
Starbucks will also be offering free coffee to front-line responders through May 3.
The coffee shop says any customer who identifies as a front-line responder to the COVID-19 outbreak will receive a tall brewed coffee, hot or iced, at no charge.
Starbucks is not the only company choosing to pay employees that aren’t working during the coronavirus pandemic.
Some large retailers that are now temporarily shuttered have paid their associates, too.
Apple says it will continue to pay its hourly workers while its stores are closed. “We have expanded our leave policies to accommodate personal or family health circumstances created by COVID-19—including recovering from an illness, caring for a sick loved one, mandatory quarantining, or childcare challenges due to school closures,” the company said in a statement.
L Brands, which owns Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret and Pink stores in the United States and Canada, will keep the majority of their stores closed until further notice but is paying employees and keeping benefits in place through April 4. After that, though, the company is “Furloughing most store associates plus those who are not currently working to support the online businesses or who cannot work from home.”
Columbia Sportswear Company will be paying their employees until April 10.
A Crocs spokesperson told Newsweek, “During this temporary closure of all company-operated retail stores in North America, all retail employees will continue to receive full pay and benefits for their regularly scheduled shifts.” Meanwhile, the employees who ship shoes for Crocs must be busy right now — the company announced last week that they’re giving away thousands of shoes to healthcare workers every day.
On March 18, apparel company Carhartt also said they will be compensating employees while their stores are closed.
Macy’s, Gap (and the brands it owns) and Kohl’s all paid their employees during the initial two-week shutdown. However, with federal guidelines on distancing now extended through April 30, retailers are having to address being closed longer than expected. All three companies were forced to furlough employees this week.
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