Walmart cuts paid leave for COVID in half after new CDC guidelines

Updated: Jan 6, 2022 / 03:38 PM CST

Walmart has become one of the first major employers to reduce its paid COVID leave for employees. This comes after the CDC updated its isolation guidelines. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

(NEXSTAR) – Walmart workers will have less paid time off after testing positive for COVID-19 under a new company policy.

According to a memo shared with Nexstar, employees who test positive for the virus or need to isolate will receive one week of paid leave instead of the previous two the retailer set early in the pandemic. This applies to hourly employees and long-haul drivers in the U.S., Reuters reports.

Last month, Walmart announced it would extend its two-week paid sick leave policy through the end of March 2022. But according to the memo, this change reflects updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying people should isolate for five days, instead of 10, after testing positive for COVID.

Workers who are unable to work after the one week of paid leave may be eligible for “additional pay replacement” for up to 26 weeks, the Walmart memo reads.

In March 2020, Walmart expanded its sick leave policies due to COVID-19.

Walmart is now among the first major retailers to cut back on paid leave for COVID-19, according to Reuters. This comes as COVID-19 cases continue to surge nationwide. Nearly 718,000 COVID cases were reported Tuesday, according to the CDC. Omicron is currently the culprit in more than 90% of U.S. cases, a rise from less than 10% two weeks ago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.