SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — On Feb. 22, Big Y will join supermarkets and food manufacturers nationwide in celebrating the first-ever Supermarket Employee Day. 

 

FMI—The Food Industry Association, has proclaimed this new holiday to recognize employees at every level for the work they do. There are more than 40,000 individual stores that sell food and grocery items in the U.S. Millions of supermarket employees come to work daily to keep shelves stocked and to provide communities with essential services.

 

"We are thrilled to join in this national celebration of Supermarket Employee Day in recognition of the critical role our teams provide to our communities everyday. Here at Big Y, we've been rewarding our employees with additional 'thank you' pay since the beginning of the pandemic," Charles L. D'Amour, Big Y president and COO said. "Supermarket Employee Day is just one more way we can recognize and appreciate their efforts. I'm so proud of the efforts of each of our 12,000 employees for their dedication, resilience and care. We all appreciate their hard work and commitment." 

 

According to a press release, despite supply chain disruptions or work-force reductions, supermarket employees have continued their efforts to keep communities going. Supermarket employees have personified compassion and courage when communities have most needed to be encouraged.

 

"Supermarket employees have earned our gratitude and respect, which is why we are creating a holiday to celebrate them," said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI. "The fact is they always have been frontline heroes during periods of crisis. In the face of natural disasters or global pandemics, these brave

and dedicated individuals keep communities strong and moving forward."

 

"On behalf of Big Y, we invite all residents of our community to stop in one of our stores on Feb. 22 to congratulate and thank local supermarket heroes," added D'Amour. "Better yet, honor your favorite heroes in your social media and use the hashtags, #SupermarketEmployeeDay and #SupermarketHeroes."