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Target said on Wednesday that it would raise its hourly minimum wage for workers by $2 to $15 starting July 5. It will also offer a one-time “recognition bonus” of $200 to hourly employees in its stores and distribution centers at the end of July.

Target, which said in 2017 that it would raise its starting wage to $15 by the end of 2020, had already temporarily increased pay to that amount in March because of the pandemic. The increase, which was scheduled to run through July 4, will now be permanent. The additional pay will affect 275,000 employees at its stores and distribution centers, the company said. Target has nearly 1,900 stores and 41 distribution centers and more than 350,000 employees.

The retailer also said that as part of its response to the pandemic, it would offer free virtual doctor visits to workers via the CirrusMD app through the end of the year, and continue extending the option for a 30-day paid leave to employees who are 65 and older, pregnant or have an underlying medical condition. It will also continue to offer free backup care to workers through the end of August.

The announcement comes as retailers, particularly discount chains and groceries, have come under pressure to compensate low-wage employees for working during the pandemic and putting themselves at risk of contracting the virus. Target, which is based in Minneapolis, said that it would invest nearly $1 billion more this year in the “well-being, health and safety of team members” than in 2019.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/business/stock-market-today-coronavirus.html