Trader Joe's, Instacart To Pay Employees To Get COVID Vaccine

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Trader Joe's is one of several companies which have announced they will pay their employees to get the coronavirus vaccine.

The Monrovia-based company said last week it will compensate hourly workers with two hours' worth of pay for each dose of the vaccine they receive, according to CNN.

Grocery chain Aldi, whose parent company also owns Trader Joe's, announced Tuesday that it will do the same.

"The company will cover costs associated with vaccine administration and will provide employees with two hours of pay for each dose they receive, up to four hours total, as well as scheduling flexibility for salaried employees," Aldi said in a news release.

Grocery delivery service giant Instacart also reported that it will give its shoppers a $25 stipend for getting vaccinated.

Dollar General said it will give its hourly employees four hours' pay for getting the vaccine.

This week, the city of Long Beach became the first jurisdiction in Los Angles County to begin vaccinating its grocery store and restaurant workers.

The city also passed a law Wednesday requiring grocery stores to give their workers an extra $5 per hour in COVID-19 hazard pay for at least the next 120 days. The California Grocers Association — a trade group which represents hundreds of grocery stores statewide — announced it is filing a federal lawsuit against the city of Long Beach seeking to block the law.