Tyson Foods is doubling bonuses, increasing short-term disability coverage and increasing health screening measures for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Springdale-headquartered poultry company announced that it will distributing $120 million in bonuses for 116,000 frontline workers and truckers. This is double the amount previously announced in April.
Bonuses will be paid in two installments. The first installment of $500 will be paid in early May while the second $500 payment will be distributed in July.
Short-term disability coverage will be increased to 90 percent of normal pay for company employees unable to work as a result of illness. This expanded coverage will last through June 30, 2020. Tyson workers will be able to immediately qualify for disability as the company waived the waiting period.
The company also waived the co-pay, co-insurance and deductible for doctor visits for COVID-19 testing; it waived co-pays for use of telemedicine through Doctor on Demand; and it relaxed refill limits for 30-day prescriptions of maintenance medicine.
“This pandemic is ever-evolving, and the decision to make these changes reflects our desire to continuously explore new ways of supporting our team members through this crisis,” Mary Oleksiuk, executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Tyson Foods, said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our people is our top priority as we work together to fulfill our critical role of feeding people across the country.”
Additional health measures are set to be implemented at Tyson facilities. These measures include screening employees for more COVID-19 symptoms, including coughing and shortness of breath; having monitors inside each Tyson facility to enforce social distancing; and requiring the use of surgical-style face coverings.
READ MORE: Tyson Foods Takes Extraordinary Measures to Help During Pandemic
