Photo: RetailWire
Target is making news again for taking care of its associates.
The retailer announced that it will pay store associates $2 an hour extra for working on Saturdays and Sundays starting on November 20 and running through December 19. It will also provide the same added pay for those working on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. Hourly supply chain associates will earn the $2 bump for shifts worked between Oct. 10 and Dec. 18.
“This team continues to be at the heart of our strategy. You have shown up consistently for our guests and one another with a tremendous amount of care and we know this busy holiday season will be no different,” Melissa Kremer, Target’s chief human resources officer, wrote in a note yesterday to employees. “This is just one more way of expressing our deep gratitude for your significant contributions. Thank you for the many ways you bring joy to all families and for all you do to make Target a place where we can care, grow and win together.”
Target, which raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour in July 2020, has cut its turnover rate to a five-year low over the past two years. It recently said that it would give more hours to its permanent employees while cutting the number of seasonal hires to 100,000, down from 130,000 last year. The retailer employs around 340,000 full- and part-time workers.
The chain has consistently made news for its employee-positive approach to managing its business, cited for its hazard pay hourly increases during the pandemic and ongoing “recognition bonuses” over the past year-and-a-half.
Target also recently announced the launch of a new debt free college program open to all employees with new recruits eligible to participate from their first day of employment. Target has said it expects to invest $200 million over the next four years to support the effort, which includes covering full tuition, textbooks and fees for employees pursuing college degrees or certificates.
The retailer now regularly shows up on best employer lists. It recently ranked thirteenth on Fortune’s list of the best large workplaces for women. A Great Place to Work review in March found that 84 percent of employees say Target is a great place to work compared to 59 percent at the typical American company.
- Here’s How Target’s Thanking Its Team With Extra Pay During Its Busiest Holiday Moments – Target Corporation
- Will reducing seasonal hires pose a big risk for Target? – RetailWire
- Target may just be the best place to work in retail – RetailWire
- 75 Best Large Large Workplaces For Women – Fortune
- Target Corporation – Great Place To Work