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.