Walmart to give workers $700M in 4th round of virus bonuses

NEW YORK — Walmart says for the fourth time during the pandemic it will be giving its 1.5 million U.S. part-time and full-time employees additional cash bonuses for their work.

The move, announced Thursday, follows similar announcements in recent weeks by such retailers as Target, Lowe’s, and Amazon, which are all offering another round of bonuses as virus cases surge around the country. The round of bonuses come as labor-backed groups have been increasing pressure on retailers to extend cash bonuses to workers who have felt the brunt of the pandemic as they rush to fill a crush of online orders or bag groceries and risk exposure to the virus.

Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, says that the amount will be similar to the previous cash bonuses during the pandemic. Part-time and temporary workers who work at Walmart or Sam’s Club’s stores, distribution centers or fulfillment hubs will receive $150 each, while full-time employees will receive $300 on Dec. 24.

In total, Walmart said it’s paying out more than $700 million this time around in additional bonuses. That includes $319 million in quarterly bonuses paid in workers’ Nov. 25 paychecks following a strong quarterly performance and $388 million in special cash bonuses related to the pandemic. That adds up to $2.8 billion in total cash bonuses to workers this year.