Amazon.com. Inc. on Thursday informed staff that fully vaccinated employees may go maskless inside its warehouses and logistics sites starting Friday. Employees have until March 18 to report being fully vaccinated if they wish to receive paid leave due to COVID-19.
Amazon in December began to require masks for all employees due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus’s Omicron variant. The company earlier had only required staff who weren’t vaccinated to wear masks, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The online retailer attributed its policy updates to a recent decline in coronavirus cases across the United States, increasing rates of vaccination, and guidance from its medical experts and public health authorities.
“This is a positive sign we can return to the path to normal operations,” the company’s message said, reports Reuters.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon has faced scrutiny over its safety measures for employees, with many of its workers criticizing the company for not doing enough to protect them.
Amazon also announced that it will no longer offer paid leave to unvaccinated employees who have to miss work because of COVID illness. Employees who have received at least one shot and have logged their status in the company’s system will still be eligible, according to GeekWire.
The company’s status as America’s second-biggest private employer, behind Walmart, has added significance to its policies. Amazon had a full and part-time headcount greater than 1.6 million worldwide as of Dec. 31.
