Amazon is reducing paid time off for frontline US workers who test positive for covid-19, starting today Monday.
This means that all US-based Amazon workers who test positive for COVID-19 will now get up to five days of unpaid leave. paid, the company told workers in a notice it sent Saturday.
A company spokesperson told CNBC that workers can still use their sick time if they need it .
In the announcement made on Saturday, Amazon also announced that workers awaiting COVID test results will no longer have excused time off, as rapid tests are now widely available.
Amazon has been gradually withdrawing its COVID policies As vaccines become more widely available and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention d e Diseases changes its guidelines to deal with contagion.
Initially, the company offered up to two weeks of paid time off for any employee diagnosed with COVID- or was quarantined. In January, the company reduced paid leave time to one week, or even up to 40 hours.
Amazon will now stop sending notifications about positive cases in its facilities, unless required by law. The company will also stop promoting vaccination.
“The sustained decline of the pandemic, the continued availability of vaccines and treatments against COVID-19 and updated guidance from public health authorities, are a sign that we can safely continue to adjust to our pre-COVID policies,” the company said in the notice.
It is likely that the decision provokes an aggressive reaction from unionized workers who advocate for better working conditions and more benefits in their warehouses.
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