Texans count on H-E-B, and that means depending on our great Partners, who are the heart and soul of our business. We believe this crisis will be around for an indeterminate amount of time and our goal is to reward our Partners for their hard work and dedication with more than temporary bonuses. As we work to find our new normal during this unprecedented time, H-E-B will transition from our temporary Texas Proud Pay program, which ended June 21, into different long-term, permanent investments in our people, which include accelerated and enhanced pay increases for store and supply chain hourly Partners. This pay increase will be the largest pay increase in the history of H-E-B. Additionally, we will continue our ongoing investments in pay and other perks and benefits for all Partners across the company.
Throughout the coronavirus crisis, H-E-B Partners have demonstrated our collective commitment to take care of Texans. H-E-B was one of the first retailers to launch a temporary bonus program. While it has been a very valuable program for our Partners, the accelerated and enhanced permanent pay increases are worth considerably more over their careers. Since 2014, H-E-B’s total contribution in Partner pay has roughly doubled.
Our company’s dedication to all in our H-E-B family remains strong and unwavering and we are deeply proud of our more than 120,000 H-E-B Partners. They are the Spirit of H-E-B.
Protecting Our Partners
At H-E-B, the majority of our Partners earn paid time off and sick leave. We have also extended medical leave to all Partners and in the event that one of our Partners is diagnosed with coronavirus, they will receive pay. Our robust emergency preparedness plan focuses on what we do best, serving our customers while prioritizing the wellness of our Partners and their families.
All H-E-B Partners are equipped daily with the best information on the coronavirus so that they can make the best decisions for their families. This includes free access to expert healthcare professionals available online and on phone to address health concerns. If Partners are feeling ill, we encourage them to stay home and take the best care of themselves.
In addition to our already strict sanitation and hygiene protocols, H-E-B has taken extreme measures to heighten the frequency and awareness of sanitation and hygiene in our stores. H-E-B has trained COVID action managers in stores and facilities to ensure sanitation and proper social distancing protocols are followed. Partners hand washing as often as possible and stores have hand sanitizer available for our customers and Partners. Stores are deep cleaned every day and Partners are given daily training and education on elevated sanitation protocols.
All Partners and vendors in customer-facing and close-contact roles are required to wear masks while at work.See more about mask and glove use here.
Social distancing, wearing masks, proper hand washing, and sanitization are all things we do to help keep Texans healthy. Our Partners stand committed to helping Texas slow the spread.