Associates truly the people to be grateful for

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles on how retailers are responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

As we all navigate this public health crisis together, Albertsons Cos. is doing everything we can to prioritize the health and safety of our customers, our communities and our associates, and to ensure our customers have access to the food, medication and other essential goods they need at this critical time.

Mark Panzer

Our associates are truly the people to thank for keeping our stores and pharmacies operating to provide an essential service for our customers and the communities we serve. That is why we announced a temporary $2-per-hour-worked increase for frontline associates, above and beyond their regular hourly pay and overtime.

Associates diagnosed with COVID-19 will receive two weeks of replacement pay while they are unable to work. If the associate is unable to return to work after two weeks, the associate will be able to use any other sick leave pay or short-term disability. We will also pay any associate who is asked to self-quarantine by their health care provider or by our company, based on current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) risk assessment guidelines, up to two weeks of replacement pay while they are unable to work.

We also announced that we are hiring 30,000 new associates. We have partnered with 17 companies to provide part-time jobs to their employees who have been furloughed or who have had their hours cut.

In addition, we have implemented several steps to help ensure the safety of the people who shop in and work in our stores. For example:

• Plexiglas Barriers/Shields: As an added precaution in our ongoing efforts to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are installing Plexiglas in our checkout lanes in all of our 2,200-plus stores. The Plexiglas will serve as protective barrier between customers and cashiers and provide added reassurance and peace of mind.
• CDC Cleanliness Guidelines: We regularly remind our associates to follow all CDC guidelines for hand sanitizer use and surface cleaning, to wash their hands at least once per hour, and stay home if they feel sick.
• Running Clean Stores: We’ve taken enhanced measures to clean and disinfect all departments, restrooms and other high-touch points of the store throughout the day. Cart wipes and hand sanitizer stations continue to be available at key locations within the store for the convenience of our customers.
• Visual Social Distancing Reminders: We have placed posters around the store and marked off spacing on the ground to remind our customers to practice social distancing and remain six feet — essentially two shopping carts — apart to avoid coming in contact with anyone who may have been infected by COVID-19 but not yet be exhibiting symptoms. We are constantly looking for solutions to help us improve this practice in our stores.
• Enhanced Pharmacy Services: We have removed the requirements for signatures that were traditionally needed when picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy. Where available, we encourage patients to use our drive-through to pick up and drop off prescriptions. In states that allow it and it’s feasible, our pharmacists now can provide emergency refills or 90-day supply of chronic noncontrolled medications, if we are unable to reach the customer’s doctor immediately for the prescription. Where permissible, we are using technology to remotely process prescriptions, thus speeding up the filling process and allowing more time for the pharmacist at the store to take care of the patient’s needs. Finally, we are working with states to remove barriers so pharmacists can dedicate more time to patient care instead of administrative tasks.
• Free Pharmacy Delivery: We are offering free same-day and next-day delivery of prescriptions to patients through at least May 1. This also helps reduce traffic in stores and increase patients’ access to their medications.
• Adjusted Store Hours: Many of our stores have adjusted their hours to give our teams the time they need to restock shelves, thoroughly sanitize the store and get ready to serve the community.
• Dedicated Shopping Windows: We have set aside dedicated shopping hours for senior citizens and other at-risk populations, such as pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems, who have been advised to avoid leaving home as much as possible. We are asking our non-senior, non-at-risk customers to respect these hours for those who need them most, and to not shop with us during these times.
• Contact Free Grocery Delivery Services: We’ve created Contact Free delivery procedures for our team and have changed our signature processes so that our delivery drivers can sign for our customers when delivering orders. This helps reduce traffic in stores.

We cannot express enough gratitude for our associates’ dedication and commitment during this unprecedented time, as they work to support their neighbors and provide essential services to the communities they serve across the country.

Mark Panzer is senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness at Albertsons Cos.