FILE - A Walmart store. (Photo by Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Walmart paid almost $180 million in cash bonuses to its hourly associates nationwide on Thursday and has fulfilled its goal of hiring 200,000 more employees since March in response to demand prompted by the novel coronavirus, the company announced.
Donna Morris, the company’s chief people officer, said in a memo posted to its website Thursday that hourly associates received the extra cash, which was actually accelerated quarterly incentive payouts, in addition to previously announced bonuses.
Walmart announced in a mid-March press release it plans to pay its full-time hourly employees $300 each and it’s part-time hourly workers $150 as a “special cash bonus,” totaling more than $365 million.
That, plus the bonuses paid on Thursday, amounts to nearly $550 million to employees through bonuses or accelerated incentives.
Walmart also celebrated reaching its goal of hiring 200,000 more employees for its stores and fulfillment and distribution centers.
The retail giant has more than 11,500 retail locations in 27 countries, according to its website.