Kroger, blasted for ending pandemic hazard pay, gave its CEO $22 million in 2020

Kroger Co. Chief Executive Officer Rodney McMullen found himself in a hailstorm of criticism last spring over hazard pay to front-line workers. In early 2020, as the coronavirus swept across the U.S., McMullen announced a $2 hourly hazard increase, or "Hero Bonus," for store and warehouse workers. Two months later, the company ended the raise — even as critics pointed out that the hazard remained.