Home Depot limits store hours, number of customers in response to COVID-19

A Home Depot sign is shown on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Home Depot is limiting the number of customers in its stores, curtailing opening hours, adding paid leave for employees and ending sales of protective masks. / Photo by Mark Humphrey
A Home Depot sign is shown on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Home Depot is limiting the number of customers in its stores, curtailing opening hours, adding paid leave for employees and ending sales of protective masks. / Photo by Mark Humphrey

Home Depot said Wednesday it is limiting the number of customers in its stores, curtailing opening hours, adding paid leave for employees and ending sales of protective masks.

In response to the deepening coronavirus crisis, N95 masks will be taken off Home Depot store shelves and donated to hospitals, health care providers and first responders. Such masks, intended to protect the wearer and others, remain in short supply.

The changes are viewed as temporary responses to the pandemic, Craig Menear, chief executive of the Atlanta-based retailer, said in a statement. "We want to thank our associates and our customers for their patience and cooperation as we work through this challenge together."

Other large retailers in recent days have also made changes to shopping to protect workers and customers. Walmart, for example, has mandated one-way aisles in its stores and said it is providing workers with gloves. Some companies are adding " hazard pay " for front-line workers.

The Atlanta-based Home Depot, which operates Chattanooga stores in Hixson and East Brainerd among 2,292 stores around the country, is the largest company based in Georgia with revenue last year of about $110 billion.

Among the changes announced Wednesday at its stores:

- Stores will close at 6 p.m. to allow more time for sanitizing and restocking.

- The number of customers allowed in stores will be limited.

- Floors will be marked to encourage customers and employees not to congregate.

- Spring promotions are being eliminated, specifically to decrease the number of customers in stores.

Home Depot also announced increased pay and benefits for its workers:

- It added 80 hours of paid time off for all full-time workers and 40 hours of paid time off for part-time workers. The time off can be "at their discretion at any time in 2020," the company said. If not used, it will be paid out at year-end.

- Full-time workers who are 65 years or older have been given an additional 160 hours of paid time off. Part-time workers receive 80 hours of paid time off.

- Any employee who contracts COVID-19 gets paid time off until given approval to work by a doctor.

- Any employee required to spend time in quarantine by a health official will get up to 14 days paid time off.

- Home Depot is paying bonuses of $100 per week for full-time employees and $50 per week for part-time workers.

- Overtime work will be paid at double the usual hourly rate.

- The company has waived co-pays on health benefits.

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