Dollar General Among Forbes Magazine’s Top 25 Corporate Responders

May 28, 2020

*The article below is updated as of the release date. All content is subject to change without notice as a result of new or updated information or changes in Company policies and procedures.

This morning, Forbes magazine announced Dollar General was ranked among its top 25 corporate responders to meet the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. This recognition reflects our mission of Serving Others alongside the Company’s thoughtful and swift response to keep the health and safety of both employees and customers alike as our top priority.

According to Forbes, the Corporate Responders ranking assesses how well the 100 largest employers among U.S. public companies responded to the public health crisis. The full article is accessible here.

During these unprecedented times, our employees continue to reflect our mission by supporting the communities we call home. We know that every day, the work of our Dollar General team helps improve the lives of customers and helps make their day a little easier. In small towns to large cities across the country, our stores are providing the value and convenience that American families need, want and rely on to help stretch their budgets, all while continuing to keep health and safety top of mind.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken a number of actions designed to enhance employee and customer health and safety and to recognize our employees’ commitment to service, including:

Safety Measures: We continue to provide fabric and disposable facial coverings and disposable gloves to employees who choose, or who are required by local governments, to wear them. Employees may also wear their own facial coverings as long as disposable masks are appropriately discarded and fabric masks are laundered after each use. Enhanced cleaning protocols are in place across the organization, and we continue to provide additional hand sanitizer to stores for employee and customer use.

Social Distancing: Social distancing measures have been implemented and are being exercised in each of our more than 16,000 locations. These measures are designed to help employees and customers remain six feet apart. In the past few weeks, we installed approximately 40,000 plexiglass register barriers across the chain. In each of our traditional distribution centers and cold storage facilities, enhanced cleaning protocols and social distancing measures are in place, including traffic flow patterns and additional measures in common areas such as restrooms, locker rooms and break rooms.

Employee Bonuses: We understand the work our teams are doing every day makes a real difference in the lives of our neighbors and communities who depend on us to provide a reliable, affordable and nearby shopping experience. Our employees continue to demonstrate the strength of our mission of Serving Others and remain united every day to serve our customers. In total, we have invested approximately $60 million in appreciation bonuses to full and part time employees in our stores, distribution centers and private fleet networks. These bonuses demonstrate our gratitude to the team members who continue to serve our customers and communities.

Paid Sick Leave: Employees impacted by COVID-19, including those who must remain at home due to their own diagnosis, to care for an immediate family or household member or while awaiting test results, are paid for regularly-scheduled hours during those times.

Increased Telehealth Services: For employees not enrolled in Dollar General medical plans, we provided an additional opportunity to enroll in our Telehealth Programs, which provides affordable healthcare options to employees without physically visiting a healthcare provider’s office. We are also currently waiving all Telehealth co-pays for employees covered until Dollar General’s medical plans.

Senior Hour: We were one of the first to announce senior hours, which are designed to allow some of our most vulnerable customers the ability to shop during the first hour that our stores are open. We have encouraged customers to plan their shopping trips around these hours so that our seniors can purchase the essential items they need in less busy and crowded shopping periods. We continue to see a considerable amount of cooperation and understanding from other customers.

Hiring Efforts: With the heightened demand for household essentials offered by Dollar General amid COVID-19 concerns, we have hired additional employees, including individuals whose previous employment may have been impacted by COVID-19 or those looking to start or grow a career with us.

Ongoing Communication: Additionally, we continue to remind employees on a regular basis of the steps to help avoid or contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, as well as steps they should take if they experience symptoms or have direct contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. Employees who are experiencing fever or other symptoms of the virus are asked to stay home. We have also established protocols for how employees should respond to both direct and indirect exposure to the virus in each of our stores and facilities and continue to update those as the situation unfolds.

Through the foundational lens of our mission of Serving Others, we remain committed to our customers and communities. We proudly serve as one of America’s essential retailers and are dedicated to being a positive resource to customers during these uncertain times. Both now and through the past eight decades, our team is united every day to serve you.