Target announces $500 employee bonuses after busy holidays

Target has announced another round of bonuses for its store employees, including seasonal hires who helped during the busy holidays.

Bonuses of $500 will be given to hourly employees in stores, distribution centers and at the company's Minneapolis headquarters and field-based offices. Store directors, executive team leaders and salaried distribution center leaders will receive a bonus ranging from $1,000 to $2,000, according to a company blog post Monday morning.

The one-time bonuses add up to a $200 million investment from the company.

"We're so proud of our team," Target said on its "A Bullseye View" blog. "They're the heart and soul of Target, showing up for one another and our guests — and making Target a safe and easy place to shop and work. And never has their dedication, resiliency, care and compassion been more appreciated than during the pandemic."

Earlier this month, Target announced impressive holiday sales numbers with comparable sales grew 17.2% in November and December with same-store sales increasing more than 4% and comparable digital sales jumping 102%. To limit crowds, Target as well as other retailers began holiday discounts early and spread out sales leading to Christmas.

It is the fifth round of bonuses that the retailer has given out to employees since the pandemic begun. Including the previous payouts, additional paid leave and benefits and an increase of its starting wage to $15 last summer, Target said it has invested $1 billion more in the last year compared to 2019.

The recent bonuses should be paid out by early February. Target is also extending its coronavirus employee benefits into 2021, which included 30-day paid leave for vulnerable team members susceptible to the coronavirus.

Target-owned grocery-delivery service Shipt also announced a round of bonuses for its busiest holiday workers. The contract workers or shoppers who completed more than 50 orders during November and December will receive one-time bonus payouts of between $50 and $500, depending on the number of orders completed.

"Despite challenges, Shipt shoppers rose to the occasion and proved to be a vital and reliable holiday resource in their communities," said Shipt CEO Kelly Caruso, in a statement about the company's as many as 350,000 shoppers. "During the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we saw order volume increase 200% when compared to last year. That means time and time again, Shipt Shoppers went above-and-beyond and these thank-you bonuses recognize their loyalty, hard work and dedication to service."

Some Shipt workers have voiced their discontent with an earlier round of bonuses given as incentives for them to work Thanksgiving weekend saying the payouts didn't seem like bonuses since they were based on numbers of orders completed and amounted to only a few dollars extra per shop.

Shipt is also giving out $250 bonuses to all nonexempt, corporate workers who were employed last year. Shipt said the additional pay amounted to a $3.6 million investment.

Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495

Twitter: @nicolenorfleet