Kroger Co., one of the biggest employers in the U.S. with almost half a million full-time and part-time employees, is eliminating some COVID-19 benefits for unvaccinated employees, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company hopes the move will encourage more staff to get vaccinated, as the Biden administration’s vaccination mandate for large employers faces legal challenges.
The Cincinnati-based grocery chain will no longer provide two weeks of paid emergency leave for unvaccinated employees who contract COVID-19, unless local jurisdictions require otherwise. In addition, the company will add a $50 monthly surcharge to company health plans for unvaccinated managers and other nonunion employees, according to a memo viewed by the Wall Street Journal.
Both policies are effective January 1, 2022, the memo said.
Previous mandates issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requiring employers with 100 or more workers to ensure employees are vaccinated or take weekly COVID-19 tests by January 4 have met opposition in the courts. Whether they will take effect is uncertain.
A Kroger spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal that the company is modifying policies to encourage safe behaviors as it prepares to navigate the next phase of the pandemic, and that the changes are designed to create a healthier workplace and workforce.
Kroger’s monthly surcharge applies to salaried employees, and doesn’t apply to hourly employees enrolled in the company’s health plan, or those represented by labor unions. About 66 percent of its workforce is unionized. Full Story (Subscription Required)
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