ARLINGTON, Va. -- Grocery chain Lidl is offering to pay employees $200 for getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Lidl said the new initiative is to encourage its employees to get the vaccine.
The extra pay also helps offset the costs associated with vaccine administration, including travel costs and childcare.
The grocery chain said a recent internal survey found that nearly 8 of 10 Lidl employees plan to get the vaccine as soon as it became available.
“We are proud to provide our employees the resources they need to receive the COVID-19 vaccine free of any obstacles,” said Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl US. “From the outset of the pandemic, we have worked hard to put the health and safety of our employees first."
In Virginia, grocery store workers are front line essential workers and are in Phase 1b of the state’s vaccine rollout. Most of the Metro Richmond-area has moved into Phase 1b of the rollout.
The company said they are providing their employees with information about the availability of vaccines in their locality.
Additionally, Lidl said they will accommodate employee schedules for vaccine appointments.
