Starbucks will require its U.S. employees to get vaccinated
against Covid-19 or undergo weekly tests by February 9, one of the first major
restaurant chains to enact a vaccine mandate.
Employees who are not vaccinated will need to be tested by a
doctor or pharmacist, no home test, and will need to get and pay for the tests
themselves, Starbucks told staff on Monday. The rules apply to workers in
cafes, offices, and manufacturing facilities.
Starbucks (ticker: SBUX), which previously said baristas
could voluntarily report their vaccination status, now says its 220,000 U.S.
employees must disclose their vaccination status by Jan. 10.
Starbucks chief operating officer, John Culver, wrote to
employees last week that he understands workers have different views on
vaccination but urged everyone to get vaccinated, especially as the highly
contagious variant of Omicron continues to spread.
Starbucks also said separately that in response to the increasing
cases of Covid-19 and exposure to Covid-19 among its employees, it had
increased referral rewards for baristas who recommend hourly workers from $ 50
by April 3 to 200 US dollars, the Journal reported.
Last month, a federal appeals court resumed the Biden
government's mandate to require companies with at least 100 employees to ensure
workers are vaccinated or tested weekly. The Department of Labor has postponed
the deadline for companies to comply with this rule to February 9th.
The Supreme Court said earlier this month that it will
review urgently complaints filed by employers and Republican officials aimed at
ending mandates.
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