Dive Brief:
- Sheetz is the first employer in Pennsylvania to commit to a new state-funded program aimed at helping people with disabilities who earn a “subminimum wage” transition to competitive, integrated employment (CIE), according to a recent announcement from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
- The program will help people “pursue competitive wages through economically stable career paths,” according to the announcement.
- Sheetz has committed to hiring up to 10 individuals with disabilities annually and supporting them via job coaches funded by Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. This will “support on-site employees, develop accommodations and prepare employees for long-term success,” according to the announcement.
Dive Insight:
Paying individuals with disabilities less than minimum wage is legal in the U.S., although several states are phasing the practice out, according to the announcement.
Pennsylvania’s latest program aims to help employees with disabilities reach CIE, or compensation at or above minimum wage and comparable to the customary rate paid to employees without disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The program, Integrated Vocational Engagement & Support Team, is using a $14 million federal grant, according to the announcement. KenCrest, a company that provides intellectual and developmental disability services for adults, youths and children, will support employers in the program that are based in eastern Pennsylvania, which includes Sheetz.
“By leveraging this $14 million federal grant, we are addressing the barriers faced by those in subminimum wage jobs and empowering them to build fulfilling careers with dignity and respect,” Nancy A. Walker, secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, said in the announcement.
This isn’t the first time that Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz, which operates over 740 convenience stores across six states, has taken steps to help employees with disabilities.
In 2019, the c-store retailer launched its Store Team Helper program, which gives people with intellectual and developmental disabilities opportunities to find meaningful jobs with the company. As of last fall, the program had helped 20 people find employment at Sheetz stores in Pennsylvania’s Blair and York counties, the company said at the time.