(WJLA/CNN) - Walmart announced a new pay policy Tuesday aimed at making sure employees do not take pay cuts for serving in the military.
The retailer says it will cover any gap in pay for employees whose military salary is lower than what they earn working for Walmart.
The differential pay program is open to all employees and covers military service ranging from three days up to five years. It also includes voluntary military training.
U.S. Army soldiers earn an average of $9.23 per hour during their first two years of service.
Walmart's minimum wage is $10 an hour, but the average rate for full-time employees is more than $13 an hour.
The company also pledged to hire a quarter million veterans by the end of 2020.
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