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Lidl US offers health benefits to all part-time employees

Move comes as expansion is expected to create over 1,000 new jobs

Russell Redman

October 9, 2019

3 Min Read
Lidl_US_store_Exterior_0719.jpg
Lidl US

For the upcoming benefit year, Lidl US plans to offer health care coverage to all employees regardless of the number of hours they work weekly.

The hard-discount grocer said yesterday that beginning Jan. 1, 2020, about 1,200 employees working part-time will be eligible to purchase medical benefits through the company.

Along with health coverage, part-time employees working less than 30 hours per week currently receive dental and vision insurance. The next open-enrollment period for medical, dental and vision benefits comes in November.

In the United States, Germany-based Lidl operates more than 70 stores in Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.

“We want our team to have the peace of mind knowing they have health care coverage,” Lidl US Chairman Roman Heini said in a statement. “Giving team members working part-time at Lidl access to medical benefits is incredibly important, and it will help them succeed. As we continue to expand, we are committed to supporting all our employees so they can be at their best.”

Arlington, Va.-based Lidl US said it expects to invest up to $9 million in the first year of the extended benefits, with the investment rising as the retailer expands.

“Virginia has been home to Lidl's U.S. Headquarters since 2015, and we applaud the company’s decision to offer medical benefits to all of its employees,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam stated. “Expanding access to affordable health care allows Virginians to live healthier, more productive lives.” 

Related:Lidl targets East Coast for 25 new stores

In mid-May, Lidl US unveiled plans to add 25 new stores in seven East Coast states: Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. The expansion, expected to create over 1,000 new jobs, would give the retailer more than 100 stores overall by the end of 2020. That includes 27 Best Market supermarkets in metropolitan New York acquired earlier this year.

"Lidl's announcement today makes it clear that the company is invested in the overall health of their employees as well as their future," Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz commented. "We are proud that Lidl chose Maryland for its regional distribution center as well as several new retail locations, and we look forward to the company's continued growth in our state."     

Health benefits have been a chief concern of grocery workers in collective bargaining between the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) and grocery retailers across the country, most recently in California, the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. Prior to reaching new labor agreements, store employees had complained about proposals offering reduced medical benefits and a higher required contribution for health insurance, along with below-cost-of-living wage hikes, wage and hours reductions for certain jobs, and retirement or pension benefit cuts, among other items.

Related:Whole Foods to cut part-time worker medical benefits

Though not unionized, Whole Foods Market last month drew flak from organized labor and in the media for plans to eliminate health care benefits for part-time workers making up nearly 2% of its workforce. Under the move, employees who work at least 20 hours but less than 30 hours per week won’t be able to enroll in company-provided medical benefits effective Jan. 1. Whole Foods said the move stems from a shift to a single-tier, part-time scheduling structure.

“To fully support Pennsylvania workers, we must invest in more than just their education and training; we must also invest in their health and wellness,” Dennis Davin, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, said in remarks on Lidl US’s health benefits expansion for part-time associates. “We applaud Lidl for doing the right thing by providing health care benefits to all employees, no matter how many hours they work.”

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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