When considering joining a new company, there are a variety of pieces to the puzzle of figuring out if it’s a good fit for you. One of the most crucial things to consider is in their benefits — how a company takes cares of their associates, inside and out. Lowe’s has a robust total benefits package for both our part-time and full-time associates, including some unexpected surprises. Read through for some of our favorites.
Our Track to the Trades program is one of the most unique benefits Lowe’s has to offer, encouraging associates to transition from retail into the skilled trades. We work to pair associates with local apprenticeships, ensuring they receive critical field experience. And the best part, according to Talent Acquisition Partner Gwen Haywood-Seifert? “Lowe’s covers 100% of tuition to send associates to trade school.”
Lowe’s offers a variety of unique and valuable resources for associates thinking about building their families. Not only do we provide up to $5,000 for adoption-related expenses, but Lowe’s offers coverage for IVF and fertility medications through our Fertility Benefits Center of Excellence. For birthing mothers, we provide 10 weeks of Maternity Leave, and 2 additional weeks of Parental Leave, for a total of 12 weeks, fully-paid. For non-birthing parents, they receive the same 2 weeks of paid Parental Leave. We are proud to offer comprehensive benefits to support every path to parenthood as part of our total benefits package.
To make sure that we are putting our best foot forward for our customers, Lowe’s offers plenty of opportunities for our associates’ advancement. “You are in the driver's seat of your development,” says Talent Acquisition Partner Christina Cahillane. “If you can be and stay coachable while you work with us, you will get the opportunity to learn customer service and leadership skills that will guide you on your career path for a lifetime.”
One of the biggest perks of working in retail is getting access to associate discounts and deals. All Lowe’s employees receive a 10% discount on store merchandise. We also offer deeper discounts on select products regularly throughout the year. The Lowe’s Benefit Hub also allows associates to access discounts for their favorite entertainment, retail outlets, cell phone plans, and more!
Learning shouldn’t stop just because you’ve reached graduation. That’s why Lowe’s offers our Lowe’s University program, allowing associates to attend classes and seminars on a variety of topics. Lowe’s University hosts courses on leadership, presentation skills, various lines of business, and more. “There are endless tools to help you learn,” says Talent Acquisition Partner Kate Reese. “You don't have to be an expert to succeed!”
At some jobs, you’re pigeonholed into one department or role. At Lowe’s, we encourage exploring every side of the store — in fact, we’ve built it into the foundation of our company culture. “Many associates will begin working with us in a Seasonal role and think that when the season is over, their employment will end. Not always true,” Cahillane explains. “Many associates have continued working with Lowe's in a PT or FT role and are now long-tenured associates in specialty or leadership positions.”
We believe everyone deserves to be recognized for their hard work and effort on the job — so Lowe’s created an incentive program that literally allows associates to wear a badge of honor. As of January 2020, Lowe’s associates across every line of service – stores, corporate, contact centers, and distribution centers – can earn one of the many badges we offer. Maryssa Holl, Human Resources Awards Specialist, says that the program has seen a huge spike in growth since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are continuing to celebrate our associates while keeping spirits up.”
Our associates are more than just the red vest they wear on the job. Our Business Resource Groups connect associates of various affinities together to help foster community throughout the business. Currently, we have Business Resource Groups including, but not limited to, Women, Black, Latino, LGBTQ+, Asian-American, Veteran, and ABLE groups. In the future, we plan on expanding this list even further.
Lowe’s knows that our hourly store associates have made us so successful for the last 100 years and we do everything we can to pay it back in kind. As a result, we have recently started the Winning Together Bonus, which is granted only to these associates who keep us running smoothly every day. We are proud to share that for the sixth consecutive quarter, 100% of Lowe's stores earned this profit-sharing bonus, resulting in an expected total payout of $91 million to front-line hourly associates.
Though Lowe’s is proud of everything we’ve done to establish ourselves as a major player in home improvement, we know that we need to be doing everything possible to keep our associates supported – and pleasantly surprised along the way. If you’re interested in learning more about our benefits and what a career at Lowe’s could look like for you, visit us today at jobs.lowes.com to get started!