Walmart to Reinstate Mask Mandate for Store Workers in Counties at High Covid Risk - The Wall Street Journal

Walmart Inc. is reinstating a mask mandate for workers in U.S. counties deemed at high risk of Covid-19 transmission and will verify the vaccination status of workers, another sign that revised federal guidelines issued earlier this week have wide business implications.

The retailing giant said Friday it will implement a system to verify which of its 1.6 million U.S. workers are vaccinated. Previously, Walmart and many employers used the honor system to identify which workers aren’t vaccinated and should be masked.

“We know vaccinations are our solution to drive change. We are urging you to get vaccinated and want to see many more of you vaccinated,” Walmart said in a staff memo. The company also said it would double to $150 the bonus it will give to staff who get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Major U.S. businesses are adjusting to new federal health guidance and rising U.S. Covid cases in recent weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that vaccinated people resume wearing masks in some indoor spaces, reversing its earlier guidance.

Some employers responded by requiring staff to get vaccinated. Many others, like Walmart, aren’t mandating the vaccine. A few big tech companies announced delays this week to plans to reopen corporate offices.

Walmart began to reopen its corporate office in Bentonville, Ark., this month. Rival Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday it would maintain its plan for some corporate employees to return to work in September and that it wouldn’t require workers to get vaccinated.

Walmart said it will encourage, but not require, shoppers to wear masks inside its stores. In counties with “substantial” or “high” transmission rates as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new signage in stores will ask all customers to wear masks, said a company spokesman. In other areas, it will keep current signage that asks non-vaccinated shoppers to wear masks.

In July 2020, Walmart announced similar mask rules for all shoppers on a nationwide basis. This time the policy will be set on a county level. In May 2021, Walmart said it would stop requiring masks for vaccinated workers and shoppers, following then CDC guidance.

The CDC recommended Tuesday that vaccinated people resume wearing masks in some indoor spaces, following a rise in U.S. Covid-19 cases.

While Covid-19 vaccinations are highly effective at preventing hospitalizations or death from the virus, they’re not foolproof in preventing infection. This poses problems for events like the Olympics and raises broader questions about immunity in the long term. Photo: David Crigger/Associated Press The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition

In Friday’s memo, Walmart executives said they will review the mask requirements weekly.

In addition to the $150 bonus, Walmart said it will also give workers two hours of pay to get vaccinated and up to three days paid time off if they have adverse reactions to the injections. Walmart administers the vaccination from many of its own pharmacies and will let workers get the vaccine during work hours.

Walmart is the country’s largest retailer, with around 5,100 U.S. stores and the largest private employer, with around 1.6 million U.S. workers. The mask mandate will be in place for workers inside stores, warehouses and corporate offices, according to the memo to staff.

Earlier this week, Apple Inc. said it will require customers to wear masks at its retail stores and Walt Disney Co. said it will require visitors to wear masks indoors at its U.S. theme parks.