(WWJ) -- Kroger's Chief Executive is taking a lot of heat over his big paycheck.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began sweeping the nation in early 2020, Rodney McMullen announced that Kroger store and warehouse workers would receive a $2 hourly hazard increase, dubbing it a ‘Hero Bonus.’
Those bonuses came to a close two months later, even as critics pointed out that the hazards for employees were still very prominent.
Meanwhile, McMullen collected a $22.4 million pay package for 2020.
According to a report from Bloomberg, that pay package, which was McMullen’s largest since taking the reigns as Kroger CEO in 2014, allowed him to earn 909 times more than the median worker.
It also provided McMullen with a 6% pay increase from 2019, while compensation for median employees at Kroger dropped 8% to $24,617.
Related
Back in March, Kroger announced plans to raise its hourly wage from $15.50 to $16 an hour. In April, the company provided part-time and full-time workers with $150 and $300 bonuses, respectively.
Cincinnati-based grocery chain employs 465,000 workers and operates around 2,740 stores across the country.