Publix grocery store chain to start offering paid parental leave

A Publix grocery store in Delray Beach, Fla., hosted coronavirus vaccinations earlier this year
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Publix grocery stores will start to offer paid parental leave to employees who are new parents, Florida Politics reported

The Florida-based company announced on Wednesday that starting in 2022, full-time and part-time employees are eligible to take time off during the first year of the birth or adoption of a child. 

“Publix is committed to being a great place to work, and we frequently review our benefits to continually offer a comprehensive package to our associates,” Publix spokesperson Maria Brous told Florida Politics in an emailed statement. 

The announcement comes as U.S.-based retailers face widespread worker shortages, with some businesses offering new benefits to attract or retain workers, The Associated Press reported

For example, St. Louis-based supermarket chain Schnucks recently rewarded its employees with a one-time retention bonus worth $600. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called out grocery chains last week for putting company profits over customers, as grocer profits have risen along with grocery prices during the pandemic.

Publix, a privately held company, employs 225,000 workers at nearly 1,300 stores in seven southern U.S. states, the AP noted.

Many Democrats had hoped to include mandatory paid parental leave in a sprawling social and climate spending package; however, it was removed from a slimmed-down version of the bill amid opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). 

The U.S. is among the only industrialized nations without a national paid leave policy, though a handful of states have programs funded by payroll taxes. 

Tags Elizabeth Warren Employee Benefits Florida Joe Manchin Paid Family Leave Publix worker shortage

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