Dollar General Corp. is offering employees a deal: go get a Covid-19 vaccine and get paid four hours.
The retailer, which has 157,000 employees, is among the first major US employers to encourage employees to be vaccinated, a sign that companies with essential workers consider mass vaccination critical to overcoming the pandemic.
Grocery stores, airlines and transit companies are vying for priority access to Covid-19 vaccines for their employees, hoping to protect them from rising cases across the country and provide guarantees to customers, which in turn drives business .
Some large employers have said they want as many workers as possible to be vaccinated, but will not require employees to get vaccines. Verizon Communications Inc. told employees this week that it will not require them to be vaccinated, and CVS Health Corp., whose pharmacists are distributing vaccines and are eligible for doses, said it encourages, but does not require injections.
Many hourly workers face challenges in reaching vaccination appointments, from daycare needs and transportation limitations to scheduling restrictions for holding multiple jobs. Some retail workers are afraid to seek medical services because they receive the minimum wage and often do not have access to work-sponsored health insurance or paid leave.