Walmart employees must wear face masks at work under new coronavirus policy

Walmart is requiring employees across the company wear face masks as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The company announced the new policy on Friday.

Walmart and Sam’s Club store associates, distribution center workers and corporate office employees must wear a face covering starting Monday, according to a news release. Employees can provide their own mask or the company will provide them, Walmart said.

Shoppers will be encouraged to wear face masks, too.

“We have evolved our policy on face coverings from optional to mandatory as public health guidance has shifted,” the company said in the news release. “The CDC now recommends wearing face coverings in public settings, including grocery stores, to help curb the spread of the virus.”

The CDC announced the new mask guidelines in early April, citing research that shows a high transmission rate in infected people not yet showing symptoms.

“We hope this step will promote safety and consistency across all of our facilities and be of comfort to our customers and members,” the company said. “However, it’s important to remember that face coverings are simply an additional health precaution.”

Walmart says the masks will be distributed to employees as they pass health screening and temperature checks.

The company also announced it’s extending an emergency leave policy, which includes waiving an attendance occurrence policy and up to two weeks of paid time off for employees who test positive for the virus.

This story was originally published April 18, 2020 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Walmart employees must wear face masks at work under new coronavirus policy."