These Companies Are Paying Employees to Get Vaccinated

Chobani

The company, a yogurt and dairy products maker, said in a statement that it will cover up to six hours of time for hourly Chobani employees to get vaccinated. That's three hours for each of the two doses required for the COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use.

Darden Restaurants

This chain, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates 1,815 restaurants across the nation, including such well-known brands as Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, and Eddie V's. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Darden CEO Gene Lee recently sent a letter to employees announcing that the company will offer hourly employees two hours of pay for each dose of the vaccine they receive (four hours total).

The company will use an employee's earnings, including tips, over the most recent 13 weeks to calculate the pay rate, with a maximum of $20 an hour, the Sentinel reports. Darden currently employs about 133,000 hourly workers.

Dollar General

Saying that it doesn't want its “employees to have to choose between receiving a vaccine or coming to work,” this retailer announced in January that it is offering its hourly workers “a one-time payment equivalent of four hours of regular pay after receiving a completed COVID-19 vaccination.” Salaried employees will be provided with flexible hours to get vaccinated, if they choose to do so.

Instacart

One challenge of gig work is that the companies that rely on gig workers don't typically offer health care benefits. During the pandemic, more than 500,000 people have worked as Instacart “shoppers,” picking up and delivering groceries to others. Starting Feb. 1, the company will offer eligible workers a $25 Vaccine Support stipend, which is intended to offset the wages they might lose during the time it takes to get vaccinated.

Any active Instacart shopper who has filled at least five orders in the previous 30 days and can verify they have received a COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible to receive the stipend.

JBS USA and Pilgrim's

This meat-processing giant currently employs 66,000 workers in the United States. It is offering its employees a $100 incentive bonus if they receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Last year, the company paid workers considered to be vulnerable to the coronavirus their full salary and benefits even when they were temporarily removed from the workforce to protect their health.

Kroger

With more than 500,000 employees in 35 states, Kroger is the nation’s largest supermarket chain. It has announced it will offer employees a $100 bonus once they can show proof of inoculation. Employees who can’t get the COVID-19 vaccination for medical or religious reasons can earn the $100 bonus by completing an educational course.

The company also has announced that it will be giving all of its essential and frontline workers an additional $100 store credit and 1,000 fuel points for use at its Fuel Centers.

Lidl

This discount supermarket chain — which has more than 125 stores across Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia — is offering all of its employees $200 in extra pay if they get a COVID-19 vaccination. These workers also can request schedule flexibility to go to a vaccination appointment.

In March, Lidl partnered with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to offer all of its employees free access to comprehensive COVID-19 medical coverage.

McDonald’s

The fast-food giant is offering workers at its corporate headquarters and its corporately-owned restaurants up to four hours of paid time off to get vaccinated. "Vaccination is essential in the fight against the pandemic, and we are actively encouraging McDonald's employees to take this important step," said Tiffanie Boyd, the U.S. chief people officer at McDonald's.

The company is encouraging employees to get vaccinated rather than making it a requirement.

Publix

Employees for this large grocery store chain can receive a $125 gift card from the company after showing proof of vaccination. Many Publix stores offer vaccinations in their on-site pharmacies, which could make the process easier for employees.

Target

This retail megastore is offering its hourly employees up to four hours of pay to compensate for the time they may have to take off to be vaccinated. The company also will reimburse up to $15 each way for its workers who take Lyft to their vaccination appointments.

Trader Joe's

This specialty grocery store chain will offer its workers two hours of their regular pay for each dose of the COVID-19 vaccine they receive. Trader Joe's will also let workers adjust their schedules to accommodate vaccine appointments.

Tyson Foods

This food processing giant has joined the number of large employers that are requiring its workers to get vaccinated. But it also is providing these workers incentive to do so: a $200 bonus to frontline workers, pending final negotiations with the unions. “With rapidly rising COVID-19 case counts of contagious, dangerous variants leading to increasing rates of severe illness and hospitalization among the U.S. unvaccinated population, this is the right time to take the next step to ensure a fully vaccinated workforce,” said Claudia Coplein, Tyson’s chief medical officer. 

Vanguard

Perhaps fittingly, this financial-assets management company is offering its employees a $1,000 bonus for getting vaccinated, which may be the biggest incentive any employer has offered so far. The company currently employs more than 16,500 people in the United States, all of whom are eligible for the bonus.

Walmart

This retail giant also is the largest private employer in the United States with more than 1.6 million workers. Its employees who work in stores and warehouses are now eligible to receive a $150 bonus as an incentive to be vaccinated.

Editor’s note: This article originally was published on January 27, 2021. It has been updated with additional companies and information on federal vaccination requirements and benefits.