Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. will close most of its stores and pharmacies on Thanksgiving Day, giving thousands of workers an unexpected day off amid walkouts and layoffs.

It will be the first time the chain of nearly 9,000 drugstores has given its workforce time for the holiday, and shows front-line workers that “we value them,” Tracey Brown, president of Walgreens Retail, said Thursday in a statement. Workers will receive pay for the time off, the company said. Nearly all 700 Walgreens 24-hour locations, a small number of distribution centers and other sites will remain open for the holiday.