Businesses Stepping Up To Help Fight Coronavirus

Companies all across the United States are pitching in to help slow the spread of Coronavirus and lessen its impact on American workers.

Companies all across the United States are pitching in to help slow the spread of Coronavirus and lessen its impact on American workers. Here are a few examples from CNN

Walmart

Grocery stores and online retailers have been overwhelmed with an influx of customers now being forced to spend more time at home because of the novel coronavirus. As a result, Walmart (WMT), the nation's largest grocery store chain, is looking to beef up its own supply chain.

The company plans to hire 150,000 workers for full-time, part-time and temporary positions at its distribution and fulfillment centers across the United States.

It is also expediting the hiring process in light of news of mass layoffs around the country. Applicants can "get hired and begin working ... in as little as 24 hours," according to Walmart's website.

Amazon

Amazon (AMZN) has seen an unanticipated boom in business now that coronavirus "shelter-in-place" orders across the nation have limited many Americans to online shopping.

The company plans to hire 100,000 people nationwide for full-time and part-time roles in Amazon's delivery network and at its fulfillment centers.

Papa John's 

Papa John's is one of three major pizza chains looking to take advantage of all the restaurant closings across the country.

The company announced plans to hire 20,000 new "restaurant team members."

7-Eleven

7-Eleven, the nation's largest convenience store chain, expects to hire up to 20,000 new store employees to meet increased demand amid the coronavirus outbreak.

And more, from Yahoo News

Verizon

Yahoo Finance’s parent company Verizon (VZ) is committing $10 million to nonprofits directed at supporting students and first responders, as well as tripling data allowance for Verizon Innovative Learning schools.

Nike

Oregon-based Nike (NKE) has committed more than $15 million to COVID-19 response efforts. The funds will be donated by a combination of current and former Nike executives.

General Motors

GM is working with Ventec Life Systems to rapidly scale the production of important respiratory products to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement posted on Twitter.

Dunkin' Donuts 

The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation is activating $1.25 million in emergency funding to support both health and hunger relief organizations that are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response efforts, the company said in a statement.

Here's more, from CNBC

From delivering pizzas and prescriptions to packing up boxes with online purchases, WalmartAmazonCVS HealthDomino’s and other companies are racing to keep up with customer demand as coronavirus cases rise across the U.S.

Now, those companies face a new challenge: How to hire and train thousands of employees during a global pandemic.

The grocery stores, pharmacy chains and food delivery businesses are using creative approaches to find candidates, skip time-consuming paperwork and speed up training. CVS said it will find the candidates through virtual career fairs and vet them with virtual interviews. Walmart said it’s shortened its hiring process from weeks to hours. And some pizza chains and grocery stores, such as Save A Lot, are asking people to send a text message if they’re interested in a job.

Companies are also hiring from a growing pool of people who have lost jobs or been furloughed as the spread of the coronavirus halts travel and shuts down restaurants and hotels.

...

Walmart is using wage hikes and referral bonuses to try to find workers for fulfillment centers, large warehouses where it boxes and ships customers’ online purchases. Fulfillment center employees will get paid between $15 and $19 an hour at the facilities —  $2 per hour more than usual — through Memorial Day. If an employee refers a new hire to their fulfillment center, the employee and the new hire each receive a $250 bonus.

At CVS, the company expects to fill many of its open jobs with employees from Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International, two clients that have furloughed tens of thousands of employees. CVS spokesman T.J. Crawford said it’s swapped in-person manager interviews with short phone calls with human resources staff. 

The pharmacy chain plans to hire 50,000 employees. That’s a nearly 17% increase in its approximately 300,000-person workforce. The roles are a mix of temporary, part-time and full-time jobs from store associates to home delivery drivers.

Pizza chains and food delivery companies are adding workers as customers opt to stay at home and government officials ban dine-in service.

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