Following the advent of COVID, in May 2020, Smithfield Foods provided workers in various plants with a responsibility bonus of $500 in addition to regular pay. Workers subsequently sued the company claiming that the bonus paid should have been regarded as a wage supplement and therefore subject to overtime. Smithfield Foods has now reached a preliminary settlement with the claimant class comprising more than 30,000 workers. The company will disburse $8 million representing approximately $38 per employee.