Dive Brief:

• Schnuck Markets announced Monday it is expanding its Flexforce labor option to dozens of stores across Illinois, Indiana and Missouri following an initial rollout in the St. Louis area last fall. 
• Flexforce allows adult workers to choose part-time shifts at store locations that fit their schedules while receiving the same benefits as traditional Schnucks employees, per the press release. The expansion brings the flexible employment option to Evansville and Newburgh in Indiana; Cape Girardeau, Sullivan and Union in Missouri; and 26 areas in Illinois, including Champaign, Urbana and Bloomington.
• Schnucks’ expansion of its Flexforce option comes as supermarket operators seek ways to entice job candidates and retain workers. 

Dive Insight:

In the announcement, Schnucks Vice President of Store Operations Stacy Brandt likened Flexforce to rideshare and food delivery services that allow workers to decide when and where they want to work. 

Each Flexforce shift must be at least four hours and workers can choose direct deposit or on-demand pay via DailyPay, per Schnucks’ website. Flexforce workers can view and claim open shifts in a Schnucks scheduling app and can opt in to get notified about open shifts. 

Both Flexforce and traditional Schnucks workers have the same benefits, including career advancement; paid time off; 10% off discount on fresh groceries and private label items; and pay scale. Flexforce workers will have to pay union dues on weeks they work. They can also receive health benefits after working for a certain period of time. 

Traditional Schnucks workers are eligible to apply for Flexforce. Schnucks is also hiring people as just Flexforce workers.

While Flexforce positions were initially limited to center store stocking, Schnucks has expanded the scope of the employment option to include work in the produce department and courtesy clerk bagging shifts, a Schnucks spokesperson said in an email. Later this month, the company will open up checking shifts, the spokesperson said, noting there's the possibility of expanding the role to meat, deli and seafood departments in the future.

“The Flexforce employment option not only allows us to position our teammates for success, it helps us ensure we have the right people, in the right place, at the right time taking care of and serving our customers,” Brandt said in the announcement. 

Schnucks’ expansion of Flexforce come at a time when grocers are rethinking worker benefits following a labor shortage during the pandemic. Flexibility, in particular, is one area grocers are embracing to boost retention. Hy-Vee and United Natural Foods, Inc. both added flex employment options in recent years. 

Hiring has started to rebound for grocers as the unemployment rate has steadied in recent months. Food and beverage stores added 4,500 jobs in November, after losing 2,700 positions the month prior, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.