Walmart Pays Hourly Workers $200M in Q2 Bonuses

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has rewarded more than $200 million in cash bonuses during its second quarter of fiscal 2017 to more than 900,000 hourly associates across the United States, an average of approximately $220 per employee.

The bonuses, which are based on stores’ performances from May through July, are part of an overall incentive plan designed to reward associates whose stores have met their performance and customer service goals. Eligible associates can earn these bonuses four times a year. The number of employees receiving bonuses in quarter two of 2017 was up from 880,000 and 687,000 during the same quarters of fiscal 2016 and 2015, respectively.

This round of bonuses marks the second this year for Walmart associates, the first being part of a two-year, $2.7 billion investment in associates Walmart announced in 2015. More than 1.2 million Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club associates received pay increases on the same day earlier this year as a result of the commitment, which includes investments in education, training and higher wages. However, the quarter-two bonuses are not part of the $2.7 billion investment.

News of the new bonuses comes one month after Walmart logged its eighth consecutive quarter of positive comps, noting that its “strategy in the U.S. is working.” Illustrating this was an accelerated same-store sales gain of 1.6 percent from the first quarter’s 1 percent increase, and the division’s biggest same-sales gain since July 2012.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates 11,504 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries.