Verizon is raising its minimum wage to $20 an hour for customer service and retail workers, the telecommunications giant announced Monday.
The company also said it will offer sign-on bonuses in many markets. For example, Verizon is offering bonuses of $2,500 for new retail specialists and $3,500 for assistant managers at its company store in Westminster, Maryland.
Verizon’s wage increase applies to new employees as well as existing employees in those categories who currently earn less than $20 an hour. Retail and inside sales employees will earn a minimum of $20 an hour when base salary and commission are combined.
Verizon said it also will add premium pay differentials for assistant managers who work on holidays and Sundays and who are bilingual.
Krista Bourne, chief operating officer for Verizon’s Consumer Group, said the changes are designed to attract employees and keep Verizon “an attractive employer in this competitive environment.”
Retailers who have struggled to meet demand amid a hiring crunch have been taking steps to recruit workers and encourage the best to stay. Some of the biggest retail brands have boosted starting pay and begun offering benefits not always available to entry-level and part-time workers.
Retailers have boosted minimum wages to as much as $17 an hour, incorporated more flexibility, added days off and rolled out debt-free higher education benefits.
Verizon said it is seeking workers who are early adopters of new technology and interested in sharing their tech knowledge. Customer service employees work from home, assisting customers over the phone and via chat.
