Senator Wayne D. Fontana | News & Views: April 1, 2020

In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the monthly News & Views Special Edition: JOBS, is changing temporarily. As this pandemic negatively affects our economy, I want to use this space as an opportunity to focus on what resources are available for employers and employees while also highlighting what sectors are looking for workers at this time.

Companies Needing Workers

In the past two weeks, several retail, grocery and pharmacy companies, to name a few, have announced the need for additional workers.

Aldi has nearly 5,000 open positions. Most are based in retail stores, but there are a handful of openings in specialized fields such as human resources, public relations, and IT. To apply for positions, please visit https://careers.aldi.us/sitemap.

Amazon announced recently they are opening 100,000 new full and part-time positions across the United States in their fulfillment centers and delivery network to meet the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon’s service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public. They also announced they were raising their hourly rate $2 per hour. Anyone interested in applying can do so at www.amazon.com/jobsnow.

CVS Health is hiring 50,000 workers and delivering bonuses to employees who are required to work on-site during the coronavirus pandemic. The company's CVS Pharmacy locations remain open during the COVID-19 crisis. CVS is giving workers bonuses of up to $500. Eligible recipients include pharmacists, store employees and managers. Anyone interested in applying for a position can click here to search for openings by location.

Dollar General has as many as 50,000 jobs being opened up to support the discount chain’s operations as COVID-19 continues to spread. These are mostly temporary positions. The company has doubled its hiring rate and hopes to fill those jobs by the end of April. Applicants can apply online by clicking here.

Dollar Tree, Inc. which operates both Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, is looking to hire 25,000 full- and part-time workers at its stores and distribution centers. For information on available positions and how to apply, please visit https://www.dollartree.com/careers-stores and https://www.familydollar.com/careers.

Dominos, the world’s largest pizza chain, is looking to hire up to 10,000 employees in roles ranging from pizza makers to delivery drivers to customer service reps. It’s also looking for Class A CDL drivers to ensure its supply chains flow smoothly. Visit www.jobs.dominos.com to apply for open positions.

Giant Eagle recently announced their employees would receive $10 million in bonus pay as they work through the COVID-19 pandemic. The bonus will go to employees from Giant Eagle stores as well as the company’s Market District, pharmacy and GetGo gas station locations. People working in warehouses and delivering products to stores will also receive bonus pay. Additionally, Giant Eagle said it is still looking to hire hundreds of people across numerous areas of business, including in its stores, at its warehouse facilities and as truck drivers. Anyone interested in applying can visit https://jobs.gianteagle.com/search-jobs.

Pizza Hut has over 30,000 open positions. The company has sped up the hiring process to the point where it says new drivers can be on the road within five hours. In addition to drivers, it’s looking for cooks, shift leaders, restaurant managers, and virtual call center agents. Apply at https://jobs.pizzahut.com/.

Sheetz is paying its approximately 17,000 store staff members an additional $3 per hour to continue to support its employees who are working through the COVID-19 crisis. Officials from Sheetz said the increase will be active through April 23 and be re-evaluated as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to rapidly evolve. Sheetz is also looking to hire about 1,300 workers. Anyone interested in applying can do so by visiting https://jobs.sheetz.com/.

Shop 'n Save also has immediate openings throughout its stores, according to the company. Because all Shop ‘n Save stores are independently owned and operated, employment opportunities will vary by location, so the best place to learn the most updated information is by visiting local stores. For a listing of all Shop ‘n Save locations throughout Pennsylvania, including addresses and phone numbers, please click here.

Walgreens is looking to fill roughly 9,500 full- and part-time positions, ranging from customer service associates to pharmacy technicians to shift leads. Anyone interested can apply at https://jobs.walgreens.com/.

Walmart is hiring 150,000 employees through the end of May to work in stores, clubs, and distribution and fulfillment centers. To view open positions and locations and to apply online, please visit https://careers.walmart.com/.

Unemployment Compensation Updates

suspended the waiting-week requirement in Section 401(e) of the UC Law.

The following information has been provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry regarding Unemployment Compensation (UC):

The Pennsylvania UC Law allows for employers to be relieved of charges for compensation once there has been a federal disaster declaration under the Stafford Act and the individuals would have been eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Therefore, an employer may be relieved from charges for compensation paid to an individual with respect to any week of unemployment occurring due to COVID-19.

Legislation that passed the General Assembly in a remote session last week requires that employers provide notification of the availability of UC to employees at the time of separation. The notification shall include information on the availability of benefits and assistance with filing a claim.

The Department has also created a resource page for employees and employers impacted by COVID-19 which can be accessed by clicking here.

Expansion of Family & Medical Leave

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law by the president on March 18. The legislation provided for the expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This is a federal program administered by the US Department of Labor.

Information on this expansion and to determine eligibility is available by clicking here.

Governor’s Order to Close Non-Life Sustaining Businesses & How to File Waiver

Governor Wolf ordered all non-life sustaining businesses to close their physical locations to slow the spread of COVID-19, effective March 23.

The Life-Sustaining Business list is available at www.dced.pa.gov. For businesses that determine from the list that they are non-life sustaining, but would like to seek a waiver, there is an online waiver application which can be accessed by clicking here. Also a frequently asked questions document can be accessed by clicking here.

When a business completes a waiver form, a team of professionals at DCED will review each request and respond based on the guiding principle of balancing public safety while ensuring the continued delivery of critical infrastructure services and functions. Those requesting a waiver will be notified via email if their operations may re-open. Businesses applying for a waiver must remain closed until a decision is made about their application. DCED offers working capital loans that could be of assistance to businesses impacted by COVID-19. Resources and information will be posted to https://dced.pa.gov/resources as they become available.

Small Business & Non-Profit Injury Disaster Loans

Low-interest loans for small businesses and eligible non-profits in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania are available through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance and can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact.

The interest rate is 3.75 percent for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75 percent.

SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.

Businesses may obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or by e-mailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Completed applications should be returned to the local DLOC or mailed to:

U.S. Small Business Administration
Processing and Disbursement Center
14925 Kingsport Road
Fort Worth, TX 76155

The deadline to return economic injury disaster loan applications is Dec. 21, 2020.

April 2020 Jobs Listing

Companies Needing Workers

Unemployment Compensation Updates

Expansion of Family & Medical Leave

Governor’s Order to Close Non-Life Sustaining Businesses & How to File Waiver

Small Business & Non-Profit Injury Disaster Loans

Offices of State Senator Wayne D. Fontana