A Washington, D.C.-based pizza chain is adding paid time off for employees to participate in “activism of their choosing.”
&pizza, a fast-casual eatery where customers can modify their pizzas in various ways, made the announcement Sunday on Twitter as protests continue across the country following the death of George Floyd.
“For those in this pain. For those in this fight. We stand with the Black Community against racial hate and injustice. In memory of George Floyd & in UNITY always,” the tweet read. “From this day forward, @andpizza will be giving its employees paid time off for activism.”
For those in this pain. For those in this fight. We stand with the Black Community against racial hate and injustice.
In memory of George Floyd & in UNITY always.
From this day forward, @andpizza will be giving its employees paid time off for activism. pic.twitter.com/j6Capnl37t
— &pizza (@andpizza) May 31, 2020
The company’s CEO Michael Lastoria said in a statement to Food & Wine that the move was “about showing—and fighting for—Unity.”
“We at &pizza, with all our unique backgrounds and circumstances, have pledged allegiance to this mission as our guiding belief. And we’ve always tried to make it more than a word, to act as more than just a pizza brand, and to serve more than just our guests,” Lastoria said.
A spokesperson for the restaurant said that the policy adds paid time off to what employees already receive. The spokesperson said workers will receive three extra days of paid time off “to participate in activism of their choosing starting this week and moving forward.”
The move coincides with protests and riots across the country. Video of Floyd’s killing emerged last week and showed him handcuffed on the ground facedown while police officer Dereck Chauvin dug his knee into Floyd’s neck. Floyd could be heard begging for air as he slowly fell unconscious and later died. All four officers involved have been fired, and Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
