Get All Access for $5/mo

Walgreens Bumps Hourly Team Members to $15 an Hour The drug store chain expects the change will be fully implemented by Nov. 1, 2022.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Education Images | Getty Images

Walgreens will raise the wages of hourly employees to $15 an hour starting in October.

The drug store chain expects the change will be fully implemented by Nov. 1, 2022. The total investment is expected to be around $450 million over the next three years.

One third of the amount will be invested in Fiscal Year 2022. Walgreens will partially absorb the investment "through the normal course of business," said a press release.

"I am extremely proud and grateful of the work our team members are doing across our 9,000 Walgreens locations serving our customers, patients and communities each and every day," said Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Roz Brewer in a Tuesday statement. "Investing in and rewarding our team members is not only the right thing to do, it's highly important to retaining and attracting a talented workforce, and to continuing to serve our critical role in community health care."

Related: Walgreens Boots Alliance Lives Up To Expectations

This is the latest step by Walgreens to invest in its staff after implementing bonus payments and a hiring initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also accelerated implementation of a remote and digitized pharmacy service.

Minimum wage raises have been gaining traction in recent months. In April, President Joe Biden signed an executive order raising the minimum wages of government contractors to $15 per hour. Amazon also announced it was raising wages for half a million employees by another $3 per hour that month. That company had already started paying $15 an hour in 2018. In May, Chipotle, too, announced employees would make $15 an hour.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Growing a Business

How to Build, Grow and Make Money With Ecommerce

To grow your online business, you need to develop a strategy and invest your time wisely. These actionable tips can attract customers and increase online revenue.