Up until COVID-19, the companies that appear atop our yearly Top 100™ list are often in our news pages for their earnings, their losses, or their acquisitions. Those are still important; however, right now the hard-working employees keeping the country fed are top of mind lately.

Were not the only ones that recognize the good work these teams are doing. Some of the largest food and beverage processors are thanking their employees through incentives, bonuses, and enhanced benefits, which weve listed below. 

Hormel Foods

Hormel recently captured media attention for giving more than $10 million in Bonuses to employees who have been working on the plant floor during the COVID-19 crisis. According to the company, the company announced another round of cash bonuses for its plant production team members who continue to work to produce food during the COVID-19 outbreak. A new $7 million bonus was added on Thursday—in addition to the $4 million bonus plant floor operators were paid earlier in April. 

The special bonus also includes $500 for full-time team members and $150 for part-time team members. According to a statement, when the second bonus is paid during the first week in July, team members will have received a total of $800 for full-time team members and $300 for part-time team members.

PepsiCo 

PepsiCo reports that the enhanced benefits to all U.S. employees include:

Employees who need to quarantine due to a doctor-assessed case or who have been diagnosed will receive 100% of their pay through the 14-day quarantine period. COVID-19 quarantine will not impact unused sick days or attendance records for employees. A similar program exists for those employees who are caring for a loved one living in the same household.

According to PepsiCos COVID-19 resource, the additional compensation covers more than 90,000 frontline associates at both PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) and PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA) and consists of a minimum of an incremental $100 per week for full-time employees over the next month.

The company also plans to hire 6,000 new, full-time, full-benefit frontline employees across the U.S. in the coming months.

J.M. Smucker Co.

J.M. Smucker Company as put measures into place to support its employees. According to a statement, the The J.M. Smucker Company is offering a one-time $1,500 hardship award to approximately 5,700 employees in manufacturing, distribution and other functions. 

The Company is also seeding an assistance fund with $100,000 to support employees significantly impacted by COVID-19.

Campbell Soup Co.

The company reported on March 24 that it is looking out for its front-line teams, by providing them with the following support:

A $2 per-hour premium payment for hourly employees at all Campbell production facilities and distribution centers.

A $100 per-week premium payment for front-line supervisors, certain site staff and depot managers who are reporting to work as essential infrastructure workers. This incentive also includes employees who oversee the company’s sales execution teams that are in stores and working with customers and independent distributors to ensure that store shelves are stocked.

In their statement, the company indicated the premium payments will be extended to approximately 11,000 front-line team members who make, sell and distribute products to retail customers across the country. These temporary benefits, implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be in place for at least five weeks beginning March 29.

Nestle

According to a press release, Nestle said it would pay full salaries for at least three months to employees affected by work stoppages to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The move covers both part-time and salaried employees as well as those working in its retail operations that have been temporarily closed in some places.

The company also said it would provide cash advances or loans to those in financial difficulties as well as offering generous sick leave arrangements for employees who may have contracted the virus.

Mondelēz 

Mondelēz announced support for its 10,000 frontline colleagues by offering:

A $2 per-hour increase, based on number of hours worked (paid as a lump sum), from March 23rd through May 2nd, for our Manufacturing, Distribution and Sales hourly workforce

A $125 per-week bonus for our Sales Representatives

The company also announced it expects to hire 1,000 frontline U.S. employees to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of our U.S. distribution and sales network in the coming months.

General Mills

According to the company, General Mills is showing support to its employees at manufacturing plants by creating several additional benefits:

A daily bonus for production-essential plant employees who are working on-site. The bonus will be in effect for a minimum of four weeks.

Employees will receive two weeks of paid leave under conditions including voluntary or mandated quarantine, school closure for a child, medical risk, and suspended work as a result of COVID-19.

In several locations, the company will provide childcare consultations with employees to address childcare concerns, including flexible work schedules.