The chain said Wednesday it would give its workers a one-time payment equal to four hours’ pay after receiving a full vaccination.
“We do not want our employees to have to choose between receiving a vaccine or coming to work,” Dollar General (DG) said in a press release, pointing out that the hourly workers face barriers to being vaccinated, such as travel time, fuel mileage or childcare needs.
The company, which had 157,000 employees on October 30, called a ‘personal decision’ to get a vaccine and said it was not necessary.
The announcement comes as the effects of vaccines in the United States begin slowly. According to CDC data, more than 27.6 million doses of vaccine have been distributed so far, and more than 9.3 million people have received their first dose. Federal officials said 20 million people would receive first doses by the end of December.
Dollar General was considered an essential trader and remained open throughout the pandemic. According to Kaiser, most states still only vaccinate health workers and residents and staff in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Essential workers, such as workers from retailers and grocery stores, will be vaccinated at later stages of implementation, but their consent to receive the vaccine varies by country.
Dollar General is not the only employer offering financial incentives to workers to get a Covid-19 vaccine. Houston Methodist, a Texas hospital system with more than 26,000 employees, also offers a $ 500 bonus to workers when they are vaccinated.
CNN’s Christina Maxouris contributed to this article.