Coronavirus: Lowe’s to increase hourly wage, implement new changes

Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Lowes has announced that it will temporarily increase its pay for hourly associates and implement new safety procedures, including a new customer limit protocol.

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The pay increase raises wages by $2 per hour for every full-time, part-time and seasonal hourly workers at stores, contact centers and supply chains in the U.S. and Canada through the end of April, according to a news release.

Other changes include:

  • A new store closing time of 7 p.m. daily to restock shelves and clean and sanitize the store
  • Masks and gloves made available to associates who want them (though not N95 masks, which are not being sold, but donated to hospitals with other personal protective equipment)
  • A new customer limit protocol, which associates will track on handheld devices
  • Adding dedicated social distancing ambassadors to monitor customer flow in garden and front-end areas
  • Rearranging floor layouts to support social distancing
  • Installing Plexiglass shields at all registers to protect cashiers and customer service associates
  • Increasing third-party cleaning shifts

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