Dive Brief:

• Dollar Tree advertised a focus on worker safety ahead of a nationwide hiring event Saturday, illustrating employers' continued focus on employee requests.
• The event aimed to fill positions at the employer's 26 distribution warehouses, according to a company spokesperson, including roles for managers, order fillers, equipment operators, maintenance technicians and warehouse associates. It planned same-day interviews and offers.
• The company also touted a $1,000 signing bonus, flexible scheduling, daily pay, advancement opportunities and tuition reimbursement for full-time associates.

Dive Insight:

As employers nationwide point to a talent shortage, employee advocates have shot back, arguing that companies simply aren't paying enough or taking appropriate steps to ensure employees' safety amid a pandemic.

The food-service industry has been a particular target of such claims. Workers, some told The Washington Post recently, have decided that the field's culture and safety risks aren't worth its pay and benefits.

Some employers ramped up traditional pay, but many have focused on bonuses and other benefits. Target, already offering a $15 minimum wage, has rolled out several employee bonuses during the pandemic. And some, like Dollar Tree, have added sign-on bonuses and other benefits to their talent acquisition strategies.

While Dollar Tree did not respond to a request for comment seeking additional details on its safety focus, the mention of such efforts may reflect a willingness to meet workers' demands on that front. Despite widespread layoffs early in the pandemic, workers seem to have retained their collective power, driving many employers to meet such worker requests.