Amazon Encourages Whole Foods Employees to Get Weekly Covid Tests

Amazon.com is encouraging front-line employees in California to get weekly COVID-19 tests, CNBC reported. This news comes at a time when the state is rolling out updated emergency workplace protections for the coronavirus.

The e-commerce giant posted on an internal company website that this request was in accordance with California’s division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) new COVID-19 emergency regulations, and should begin the week of Dec. 14. A notice was also sent to Whole Foods employees stating that the grocer will offer COVID-19 testing to team members every seven day and encourages all team members to participate.

Amazon employees were told to get tested outside of their scheduled working hours, and that they will receive up to 1.5 hours of compensation as reimbursement. Whole Foods employees were told the tests would be covered.

California’s division of OSHA issued new rules around coronavirus workplace safety measures earlier this month that require employers to provide COVID testing when there are multiple infections or outbreaks in the workplace. The new regulations also strengthened case tracking.

Total Retail's Take: Over the summer Amazon launched its own testing program for warehouse workers, but overall has been slow to offer testing to the majority of its employees. In fact, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is investigating Amazon’s coronavirus safety measures. On Monday, he asked a Sacramento County Superior Court judge to order Amazon to provide more information on the number of coronavirus infections and deaths at California facilities. We'll have to wait and see if Amazon rolls out this messaging and policy to its other facilities and stores outside of California.