List of companies that *are* looking after their employees?

April 1, 2020 1:51 PM

I'd like to support companies that *are* providing sick leave and safer working conditions for their employees during this pandemic. If I need to order something to be delivered online, what's the most ethical company to go with?

I've been following the frankly disgusting behavior of Amazon and Instacart. There seem to be mixed reports about Walmart and Target. Is the US mail service looking after its employees?

Ideally I'd like to know if there is a journalist or organization collating this info and putting it online somewhere. So I can check for my own reference, but also point friends towards an alternative when I try to wean them off Amazon.

Thanks!

posted by EllaEm to Shopping (12 answers total)

Best answer: Vox speaks with a 30-year veteran of the USPS here.
ProPublica's following a few stories, and has a newsletter; for USPS, on March 18: Letter Carriers Say the Postal Service Pressured Them to Deliver Mail Despite Coronavirus Symptoms — and Often Without Hand Sanitizer Experts say coronavirus could be transferred through mail delivery by sick employees. Postal workers say USPS isn’t doing much to keep them or their customers safe.

Safer working (and shopping) conditions at Costco. (USA Today link)
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:11 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]

I have a friend who works at Patagonia and they have basically shut down (and are paying employees) while this is happening. They have a provisions online store which is still open.
posted by jessamyn at 2:47 PM on April 1, 2020 [5 favorites]

Columbia Sportswear is going to great lengths to keep paying their retail employees who are idled because the stores are shut down.
posted by DrGail at 3:12 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]

Best answer: One of the core organizers of #InstacartStrike linked to an alternative platform for these delivery services:
Dumpling
posted by spamandkimchi at 3:42 PM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]

Came accross this crowdsourced google doc of Corporate Goodwill Efforts During COVID-19 Outbreak.
There's not much context within the list itself, so I don't know that I personally would call all those on this list truly good actors just because they're listed, but all the links click through to the news story or corporate statements.
posted by wowenthusiast at 3:58 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]

Penzyey's Spices seems to be looking after their employees and customers from what I can tell from the outside via their email updates...
posted by mightshould at 4:19 PM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]

I was pleased to see that Microsoft made an early commitment to pay hourly employees at their regular rate even if/when their services weren't needed.
posted by mosst at 4:44 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]

Starbucks is paying store employees whether they come into work or not, has catastrophe pay for affected workers, has increased tips and food discounts for those who are working in stores, has closed all but drive throughs (and delivery in parts of the country that have rolled out Starbucks for Uber Eats), and lots of other pro-social behaviors. Executives are being extremely transparent about each decision and are always following the science from public health advisors, as well as applying practices they learned during the outbreak in China. (Caveat, I work for Starbucks corporate in a technology non-leadership role.)
posted by matildaben at 4:47 PM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]

Best answer: https://didtheyhelp.com/category/heroes/ - a crowd sourced list of heros and villians during corona.
posted by ladyriffraff at 5:57 PM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]

Just saw this on Twitter, so haven't confirmed separately:

Sephora just fired all part-time employees via a 3-minute conference call.

ULTA is paying their workers through mid-April at least and gave all their warehouse workers a $2 raise.

posted by spamandkimchi at 7:51 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]

REI is paying (most of) their employees while retail stores are closed.
posted by coppermoss at 9:42 AM on April 2, 2020

Hey! Came here to say H-E-B and saw that we're at the top of that didtheyhelp list :D
posted by theRussian at 3:20 PM on April 7, 2020