United States: $100 bonus payment for retailer Kroger’s workers who get vaccinated

US mass retailer Kroger, which employs almost 370,000, has joined a list of US companies and announced a lump sum bonus for employees who get inoculated. “As we move into a new phase of the pandemic, we’re increasing our investment to not only recognize our associates’ contributions, but also encourage them to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as it becomes available to them to optimize their well-being as well as the community’s,” said Tim Massa, Kroger’s Chief Human Resources Officer. Employees unable to receive the vaccination for religious or medical reasons will be eligible to receive the bonus if they follow a health and safety education program instead. Following completion of its Phase 1a vaccination plan that prioritized healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents, the U.S., under its new President Joe Biden’s leadership, is accelerating the Federal rollout and has moved to Phase 1b (frontline essential workers and those over age 75), while the country continues to see more than 3,000 Covid-linked fatalities per day. For the vaccine rollout, frontline essential workers are deemed to include food store personnel, alongside firefighters, police officers, the agri-food industry, teachers, and postal and logistics employees.