King Soopers will pay employees in its grocery stores, pharmacies, call centers and supply chain an extra $2 per hour for the time they worked between March 29 and April 18, deemed a “hero bonus.”

“Our associates have displayed the true actions of a hero, working tirelessly on the front lines to ensure everyone has access to affordable, fresh food and essentials during this national emergency,” said Steve Burnham, the president of King Soopers, in a statement. The grocery chain previously announced a one-time bonus of up to $300.

Kim Cordova, the president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, which has 22,000 members in Colorado and Wyoming, noted the increase in pay was one of several changes that King Soopers and parent company Kroger agreed to. She cited new protocols that will allow employees to wash their hands every 30 minutes, floor decals to indicate how customers should distance themselves, and 300,000 face masks due to arrive in the region.

Protective measures for employees have been a continuing concern as grocery store workers have found themselves in the same category as emergency room doctors and first responders in their potential risk for COVID-19 exposure.

Nicole Treska wrote on Twitter on Monday that her sister, a King Soopers produce manager in the Littleton area, “wore a mask to work today, and a customer told her ‘don’t drink the kool-aid’ and coughed in her face, on purpose. What measures do you have in place to protect employees?”

A reply from King Soopers only mentioned that the company will “monitor the situation” and referenced the $2 hourly raise.