Tractor Supply, Shipt, Petco, Eyemart Express offer vaccine stipends to employees

The list of companies offering their employees incentives to receive the COVID-19 vaccine grows longer every day.

Tractor Supply Company will provide a one-time payment of $50 and allow time off as needed for all hourly employees who receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The rural lifestyle retailer has also partnered with a third-party provider to facilitate on-site vaccination clinics at its eight distribution centers and store support center upon approval and availability.

“As vaccines become more widely available, we hope to make it as easy as possible for those who want to be vaccinated,” said Melissa Kersey, executive VP, chief human resources officer, Tractor Supply, which operates 1,923 namesake stores and 182 Petsense stores. 

Shipt also is encouraging its employees to get vaccinated. The same-day delivery company, owned by Target Corp., said that “active” Shipt shoppers (those who have delivered 10 or more orders during the 30 days prior to vaccination) are eligible to receive a $25 stipend for each dose of the COVID-19 vaccine they receive. Shipt will also provide hourly headquarters employees with paid time off to cover their absence for receiving vaccine doses. 

Rival online delivery service Instacart began offering shoppers and shift leads a $25 stipend for time spent getting a COVID-19 vaccine in January. Shipt parent Target is providing up to four hours of pay to its hourly employees when they get COVID-19 vaccine doses, as well as free Lyft rides — up to $15 each way — to get to and from appointments if needed.

 Petco Health and Wellness Company will provide a one-time $75 payment to each employee who gets fully vaccinated for Covid-19. The retailer will contribute $25 to the Petco Partner Assistance Fund, which provides assistance to employees experiencing financial hardship.

Eyemart Express is paying bonuses to frontline employees who receive COVID-19 vaccines. All employees in the optical retailer’s 228 stores, including store employees, lab technicians and distribution center associates, will get a one-time payment that is the equivalent to four hours of pay after receiving the recommended doses.

Eyemart is also providing all frontline employees with essential service letters to help them qualify for the appropriate vaccination group in their state. The company said it is one of the first retailers in the optical industry to offer a monetary incentive for employees to get vaccinated.