Publix Offers $125 Gift Card Incentive to Employees Who Get COVID-19 Vaccine

Image source: Publix Super Markets

Publix Super Markets is the latest major company to offer incentives as a way to encourage its workforce to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

On Friday, the Florida-based supermarket chain said it would give a $125 Publix gift card to each of its current 225,000 employees who submits an internal form and proof of vaccination.

In a press release, Publix’s chief executive officer Todd Jones said, “We care about our associates and customers and believe getting vaccinated can help us take one step closer to getting back to normal. We are encouraging our associates to get vaccinated when they become eligible and doses are available.”

Publix operates 1,266 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, along with nine distribution centers and 11 manufacturing facilities. 

A growing number of US grocers and retailers are trying to encourage workers to get the vaccine against the virus that has killed more than 500,000 Americans. In recent weeks, Aldi, Target Corporation, Kroger, Dollar General Corp, Instacart, Trader Joe’s, McDonald’s Corporation, Darden Restaurants Inc and Starbucks Corporation have all announced vaccine incentives.

Despite more and more employers offering incentives, vaccine distribution and eligibility continues to vary across the country. So far, only 13 states have started vaccinating supermarket employees, which leaves most of the country’s three million grocery workers ineligible for the shot, CNN reported.

Since the pandemic began last spring, over 30,100 grocery workers have been infected by the virus and 137 supermarket employees have died due to COVID-19-related complications, CNN said.

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Source: Equities News