(CNN)Amazon will lift its mask mandate for its fully-vaccinated warehouse employees in the United States beginning May 24 in locations where local regulations do not require face coverings, the company informed workers on Wednesday.
To be eligible to stop covering their faces while working, Amazon told employees they must be 14 or more days past their final dose of the vaccine and have a vaccination card as proof, according to a notification Amazon shared with workers in its employee app, called A to Z, viewed by CNN Business.Amazon (AMZN) confirmed the policy change for field operations employees to CNN Business and pointed to a blog post on the subject.
The news comes after guidance last week from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said fully vaccinated people can go without masks in most circumstances so long as it is in line with workplace and local business policies.
For Amazon, workplace safety has been a heated topic since the start of the pandemic. In October, Amazon said more than 19,000 of its front-line US employees at Amazon and Whole Foods had tested positive or been presumed positive for the coronavirus. It was the first time the company shed light on how its workforce had been affected by Covid-19 after months of both internal and external pressure for more transparency. Read MoreThe mask policy will be implemented in phases, the company said. Beginning Monday, workers can enter their vaccine information in the Amazon employee app. Those who are fully vaccinated will receive a green check mark, which they can display when entering the facility as proof of vaccination. By early June, Amazon said it will provide a badge sticker to employees to signify vaccination and, by mid-June, workers will be asked to upload a photo of their vaccine card to A to Z. Amazon announced earlier this year that its frontline employees can receive $40 per vaccine dose as compensation for time spent getting vaccinated off-site. In late March, the company began offering on-site vaccinations for employees at select locations.In its communication to workers, Amazon answered questions it anticipated some may have — including “how do I know if I live somewhere that still requires face covering?” The company said that on-site signage and communication will help workers understand the evolving rules in their location.
“We know today (May 19) that places like California, Virginia, New Jersey, Oregon, and Baltimore City continue to have face covering requirements. We ask everyone please verify at their site regularly on emerging guidance,” the company wrote.It said workers will need to continue wearing masks until fully vaccinated and can continue wearing them after if they choose. “Anyone is welcome to continue wearing a face covering.”
Source: edition.cnn.com
