As a rollout of free, on-site COVID-19 vaccinations begins at some of our locations, Tyson Foods is taking the additional step of compensating team members for up to four hours of regular pay if they are vaccinated outside of their normal shift or through an external source.

A program for vaccine distribution will be available at our locations through a partnership with Matrix Medical. We’re also working with local and state health officials as well as other approved vaccine providers to ensure the company’s U.S. team members have access to COVID-19 vaccines. However, vaccine availability does continue to vary by state. This pay incentive is designed to be an additional way we are encouraging our frontline workers to receive the vaccination.

Vaccinations for Tyson Foods team members are voluntary, but highly encouraged.

“I appreciate the company’s efforts to secure vaccines for us,” said Tim Adams, who works at our Wilkesboro complex and has been at Tyson Foods employee for 47 years. “I’m in a high-risk category due to my health, so for me it was an easy decision to get vaccinated. It’s the next logical step in keeping myself and those around me healthy and safe.”

Several hundred Tyson Foods team members, mostly health service staff and workers over the age of 65, have already been vaccinated. And we expect about 1,000 frontline workers in Illinois, Missouri, and Virginia to be vaccinated this week. Preparations are being made to provide free access as more doses of the vaccine become available.

Our vaccine education and distribution plans are the latest important step we have taken to prioritize the health and safety of our team members. Recently, we appointed Dr. Claudia Coplein as the first Chief Medical Officer in company history. 

And in the last year, we have invested millions to transform our facilities with measures ranging from walk-through temperature scanners and workstation dividers to social distance monitors, as well as providing additional team member pay and benefits. We also plan to pilot health clinics for team members and their families this year.

Be sure to check back on The Feed blog for the latest on our response to COVID-19 and enhancing the culture of health for Tyson Foods team members.

Author
Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer at Tyson Foods

Johanna Söderström leads all aspects of the company’s global people strategy to enable its overall growth, innovation and transformation agenda. A member of Tyson Foods’ enterprise leadership team, Johanna reports to President & CEO Donnie King.

Johanna brings more than two decades of experience in global people solutions, employee engagement and talent development to Tyson Foods. She most recently served as Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at The Dow Chemical Company and oversaw the company’s cultural and organizational transformation through the DowDuPont merger and spin-off.

She previously led global compensation and benefits at Huhtamaki, a global sustainable food packaging company. Her career began in Finland at Ericsson and she has also held HR roles in Germany and Switzerland.

Johanna holds a master’s in economics from the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland, as well as the Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential. She is a member of the board of Neste, the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel and jet fuel from waste and residues.

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