Kroger has released new Covid-19 vaccination policies compelling its employees who have not been vaccinated to do so.
According to Yahoo Life, the retail outlet told employees last week it would no longer offer paid emergency leave to unvaccinated employees who contract COVID, as of Jan. 1. Furthermore, all unvaccinated managers and non-union employees will have an extra $50 added to their monthly health plan costs.
This is not the first time Kroger will try to push its workers to be vaccinated. In February, it announced in a press release that employees could earn a one-time payment of $100 for getting vaccinated. The policy is still in place and it will run concurrently with the financial penalty for not being vaccinated.
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“To encourage safe behaviors as it prepares to navigate the next phase of the pandemic … The changes are designed to create a healthier workplace and workforce,” Kroger’s spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Kroger will be moving forward with its 2022 vaccination policy. The $50 surcharge will not be applied to hourly or unionized employees, the latter of which accounts for 66 percent of Kroger workers. The removal of emergency paid sick leave for COVID will apply to all unvaccinated employees, however, except those with approved religious or medical exemptions.