Amazon will cut off paid leave for workers that contract coronavirus if they are not fully vaccinated. According to an internal memo, unvaccinated workers will be required to wear masks in the warehouse while their vaccinated coworkers can go maskless. The changes are expected to take place on March 18, according to Business Insider.
Business Insider reports that Amazon workers who contract the coronavirus and have not been fully vaccinated will no longer be eligible for paid leave starting March 18. A memo sent out earlier this week also told workers that they no longer have to wear masks inside warehouses as long as they have been fully vaccinated.
Jeff Bezos at Blue Origin press event ( Joe Raedle /Getty)
(Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
The memo stated: “There has been a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases across the country over the past weeks. Along with increasing vaccination rates across the country, this is a positive sign we can return to the path to normal operations.”
Amazon’s latest policy change comes shortly after a number of Democrat-governed U.S. states announced plans to roll back mask mandates. Amazon re-introduced mask mandates in its warehouses in December following a surge in cases caused by the Omicron variant.
In January, Amazon announced that it was reducing the number of days workers could take off after contracting the coronavirus from ten to seven days following the CDC’s revision of its guidance.
The state of New York sued Amazon in February of 2021, alleging that the company endangered workers and failed to provide adequate coronavirus protections.
“While Amazon and its CEO made billions during this crisis, hardworking employees were forced to endure unsafe conditions and were retaliated against for rightfully voicing these concerns,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement announcing the suit.
“Since the pandemic began, it is clear that Amazon has valued profit over people and has failed to ensure the health and safety of its workers.
Read more at Business Insider here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com
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