The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, will remain open through the coronavirus pandemic, but with several temporary changes set. The company will be implementing specific rules, restrictions, and relief for its customers and associates in response to COVID-19.
Craig Menear, CEO, chairman, and president of The Home Depot, said in a press release:
As our communities battle COVID-19, The Home Depot is committed to providing the essential needs required to maintain homes and businesses while doing our best to protect our valued customers and associates. This has resulted in several temporary changes to our business as we look out for your safety and the safety of our associates. We want to thank our associates and our customers for their patience and cooperation as we work through this challenge together.
Among the measures includes a “stop sale” of N95 respirator masks to the general public. It will be donating its entire supply to hospitals, healthcare providers, and first responders across America. Even though face masks are in high demand right now, the stores won’t be selling any. The company wants to know it’s done all it can to make sure medical workers have enough masks to save the lives of patients fighting the coronavirus safely.
Other safety measures The Home Depot has outlined in the press release include:
- Allowing more time for sanitization and restocking by closing stores early at 6:00 pm
- Allowing only a certain number of customers in the store at a time
- Adding signage that promotes social and physical distancing practices in stores and marking floors to help customers and employees maintain safe distances
- Canceling spring promotions to avoid influencing a high level of traffic to stores
- Distributing thermometers to workers in stores as well as distribution centers so they can perform health checks daily before reporting to work
The chain will also provide several employee benefits, such as:
- Adding 160 hours paid time off for full-time employees over 65 years old and 80 hours for part-timers over 65 years old
- Adding 80 hours of paid time off for full-time employees under 65 years old, and 40 hours for part-timers
- Doubling pay for overtime hours
- Providing paid time off for any worker who’s contracted COVID-19 and up to 14 days paid time off for anyone who has to be quarantined as required by a public health authority
The Home Depot also has frozen prices (voluntarily) on products that are in high demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. And, in addition to donating all their N95 respirator masks to medical facilities, the company has also given millions of dollars worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other products to them. Furthermore, any orders placed by the medical sector will receive top priority.
