Dive Brief:
- TJX Cos., the parent company of retailers TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls, is paying employees in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico while stores remain closed, the Boston Globe reports.
- It's not clear how many of its 29 stores are still closed but all workers are still being paid, the company told the Globe.
- Erika Tower, a spokesperson for the retailer, told the paper it was the right thing to do, and that the company has taken similar action during other disasters.
Dive Insight:
While disaster planning is a must, it appears to be increasingly common for employers to go above and beyond mere compliance during these circumstances.
Starbucks, for example, made headlines for continuing to pay workers when the hurricanes closed stores or prevented employees from being able to get to work. It also reminded workers about its Caring Unites Partners Fund, or CUP Fund grants, which workers pay into to assist fellow employees during family crises or natural disasters.
Other businesses, however, garnered attention for less-than-sympathetic actions. A Pizza Hut manager's letter reminding employees of a policy limiting their time off before a storm went viral, drawing sharp criticism from corporate.
Disaster preparedness often involves business continuity planning but employers appear to be increasingly drafting plans to offer assistance to affected workers in the immediate aftermath of such events.
