Tyson Foods to Pay Frontline, Hourly Workers $50 Million in Year-End Bonuses

By Darby Jones December 6, 2021

The one-time bonuses will range from $300 to $700 and depend on tenure.

Tyson Foods announced Monday that it will pay out $50 million in year-end bonuses to frontline and hourly meatpacking workings beginning this month. This announcement comes as companies are fighting to attract and retain employees.

The one-time bonuses for 86,000 eligible Tyson workers will depend on tenure and range from $300 to $700, the company said.

“This is yet another way for us to say thank you and show how grateful we are for our frontline teams’ efforts to keep each other safe, our company strong and our world fed over the past year,” Chief Executive Donnie King told Ma.

Approximately 59,000 workers contracted COVID-19 through January at plants run by Tyson and competitors JBS USA, Cargill Inc, National Beef Packing Company and Smithfield Foods. The meatpacking industry was hit especially hard during the pandemic due to the nature of the work, spending long hours in close quarters.

Tyson added that it has spent more than $500 million in wage increases and bonuses for frontline workers throughout the past year, with the average total compensation for hourly workers topping $24 per hour.

Image source: CNBC