Amazon To Cut COVID-19 ‘Excused, Unpaid, Leave’ For U.S. Workers

Amazon will be cutting COVID-19 leave for its workers in the United States.

This week, Amazon announced it would be cutting the amount of time off Amazon workers will get off in “excused, unpaid leave” when they’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Initially, workers got two weeks of paid time off to recover from the virus, as the illness and its symptoms can carry on in the body for months. Amazon first cut time off for COVID-19 recovery to 40 hours back in January, Reuters reports. The company’s decision comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an amended COVID-19 guidance.

“The sustained easing of the pandemic, ongoing availability of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, and updated guidance from public health authorities all signal we can continue to safely adjust to our pre-COVID policies,” Amazon said.

PC Mag reports Amazon’s decision to cut hours also comes just one day after a Staten Island warehouse came together in a vote to join the Amazon Labor Union.