Walmart is expanding its maternity and parental leave benefits, adding a new adoption benefit, increasing its starting salary and providing a one-time cash bonus for eligible American employees in light of the new U.S. tax reforms.
The expanded parental and maternity leave policy will provide full-time, hourly U.S.-based employees in with 10 weeks of paid maternity leave and six weeks of paid parental leave. Salaried employees will receive six weeks of paid parental leave.
The adoption benefit, which will be available to both full-time, hourly employees and salaried workers, is a total of $5,000 per child, and may be used for expenses such as adoption agency fees, translation fees and legal costs.
Read: Pinterest to offer adoption and surrogacy benefits for employees
Walmart will also increase its starting salary rate for hourly U.S. employees to $11 in the Feb. 17, 2018, pay cycle. And the one-time bonus, which is up to $1,000, is based on length of service, so employees with at least 20 years at the company will qualify for the full amount.
“We are early in the stages of assessing the opportunities tax reform creates for us to invest in our customers and associates and to further strengthen our business, all of which should benefit our shareholders,” said Doug McMillon, president and chief executive officer at Walmart, in a news release.
“However, some guiding themes are clear and consistent with how we’ve been investing — lower prices for customers, better wages and training for associates and investments in the future of our company, including in technology. Tax reform gives us the opportunity to be more competitive globally and to accelerate plans for the U.S.”
Read: Walmart enhances disability benefits and increases pay