Walmart Canada to hire 10,000 workers during coronavirus pandemic

Walmart Canada announced they will hire 10,000 employees immediately across stores in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A public memo sent by Horacio Barbeito, president and CEO of Walmart Canada, said that the company is going to “immediately hire 10,000 more associates in our stores and distribution centres. There’s a lot of work and we need you.”

The company has also dedicated the opening hour of the stores “exclusively for seniors, the disabled, and those with vulnerable health conditions,” to ensure that these groups can get the necessities they need safely.

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Also, Walmart said that stores will remain open and are working with “all levels of government” to ensure that groceries and pharmacies are open.

The store chain emphasized there are plenty of food and supplies, and their teams are “working around the clock” to replenish the shelves.

And, in order to manage supply some stores will limit the amount of items per customer to ensure there are more products available for more customers.

The memo also says that pickup and delivery demand are high, so to help Canadians self-isolate, deliveries will be left at their door.

Walmart Canada is also making a $1 million donation to its charity partners so they can provide immediate service.

Additionally, the Walmart Foundation is committing to invest $1 million for meeting immediate needs in Canada in the coming days.

Specifically, the company will donate an additional $500,000 to Food Banks Canada so they can share critical food resources with local food banks across Canada.

It also extended ongoing funding for the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change” campaign in support of local food banks until April 3, aiming to meet a goal to provide 15 million meals to Canadian families.

An immediate $500,000 investment to the Canadian Red Cross will also be made to “support domestic relief and recovery operations.”

Lastly, the company will offer access to live online physician care for all 90,000 of its associates to get the care needed.