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Amazon Ends 14 Days of Paid Leave for Covid-Infected Employees

FILE PHOTO: The Amazon logo is seen outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, U.S. November 25, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

E-commerce giant Amazon has stopped offering seven days of paid time off (PTO) to frontline workers infected with Covid-19. According to CNBC, starting Monday, Amazon will offer up to five days of “unpaid leave,” according to CNBC.


Amazon initially offered 14 days of paid leave to workers who contracted Covid at the start of the pandemic. Amazon said in a new notice that employees with “confirmed” Covid-19 cases, regardless of vaccination status, can submit paid leave requests under its “standard sick leave policy.”


“Amazon will also stop furloughing workers while awaiting COVID-19 test results, citing the widespread availability of rapid tests,” the report said, citing the notice. Amazon also discontinued its vaccine incentive program, which paid workers $40 per vaccine.


The company will also no longer notify the entire workplace of positive Covid-19 cases “unless required by law”. “The continued easing of the pandemic, the continued availability of Covid-19 vaccines and treatments, and the latest guidance from public health authorities all suggest that we can continue to safely adapt to pre-Covid policies,” the company said.


The decision could draw backlash from pro-union workers fighting for better working conditions and improved benefits at their facilities.

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