ZEELAND, Mich — Tyson Foods announced that it would offer more benefits to its fully vaccinated employees, the company said Thursday. The new policies will be implemented at the Zeeland facility.
The additional benefits come after Tyson announced a vaccine mandate for all employees in early August. The labor union that represents the largest number of Tyson employees has announced its support of their requirement.
Effective at the start of 2022, vaccinated team members can earn up to 20 hours of paid sick leave per year. New hires will also receive one week of vacation after six months of employment.
“These measures are the latest examples of our ongoing efforts to make Tyson the most sought-after place to work, while reinforcing the importance team members’ health and safety,” said Johanna Söderström, the executive vice president and chief human resources officer of Tyson Foods.
Tyson recently boosted pay for employees. The average hourly salary at American Tyson facilities is now $22 an hour, plus medical, vision and dental benefits.
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Each facility offers free, on-site COVID-19 vaccinations before their Nov. 1 mandate deadline. The company is also doling out more than $6 million in sweepstakes to incentivize employees to get the vaccine – on top of giving $200 to each employee as a thank you for being fully vaccinated, frontline team members.
Currently, more than 75 percent, or 90,000, of Tyson’s American employees are vaccinated. 30,000 of them were vaccinated after the company announced their vaccine mandate.
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