SEATTLE — Amazon will no longer grant up to seven days of paid time off for U.S. workers infected with COVID-19, the company announced in an internal Saturday memo obtained by CNBC.
Beginning Monday, the e-commerce behemoth will offer up to five days of unpaid, excused leave for workers battling COVID-19, with the option for employees to use accrued sick leave, The Verge reported.
Per Saturday’s notice, workers will also no longer be granted excused time off while awaiting COVID-19 test results because rapid tests are now widely available, CNBC reported.
Amazon initially provided up to two weeks of paid time off for any worker diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine, but the company capped that figure at as many as 40 hours in January.
In addition, the company will stop sending site-wide notifications of positive cases in its facilities and nix incentivizing vaccination efforts, according to the internal communication.
“The sustained easing of the pandemic, ongoing availability of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments and updated guidance from public health authorities, all signal we can continue to safely adjust to our pre-COVID policies,” the company stated in the memo.
Previously, Amazon workers were paid $40 for every COVID-19 vaccine dose they received, according to The Verge.
“We are monitoring conditions closely and will continue to adjust our response as appropriate,” Amazon stated.
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