ATLANTA -- Home Depot said Wednesday that it is limiting the number of customers in its stores, curtailing opening hours, adding paid leave for employees and ending sales of protective masks.
In response to the deepening coronavirus crisis, N95 masks will be taken off Home Depot store shelves and donated to hospitals, health care providers and first responders. Such masks, intended to protect the wearer and others, remain in short supply.
The changes are viewed as temporary responses to the pandemic, Craig Menear, chief executive of the Atlanta-based retailer, said in a statement. "We want to thank our associates and our customers for their patience and cooperation as we work through this challenge together."
The company has 2,292 stores and more than 400,000 employees.
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Other large retailers in recent days have also made changes to shopping to protect workers and customers.
Among the changes announced Wednesday at Home Depot stores:
• Stores will close at 6 p.m. to allow more time for sanitizing and restocking.
• The number of customers allowed in stores will be limited.
• Floors will be marked to encourage customers and employees not to congregate.
• Home Depot added 80 hours of paid time off for all full-time workers and 40 hours of paid time off for part-time workers. The time off can be "at their discretion at any time in 2020," the company said. If not used, it will be paid out at year-end.
• Full-time workers who are 65 years or older have been given an additional 160 hours of paid time off. Part-time workers receive 80 hours of paid time off.
• Any employee who contracts covid-19 gets paid time off until given approval to work by a doctor.
• Any employee required to spend time in quarantine by a health official will get up to 14 days paid time off.
• Home Depot is paying bonuses of $100 per week for full-time employees and $50 per week for part-time workers.
Business on 04/03/2020