Walmart (NYSE: WMT) has set up new guidelines for ensuring the safety of its customers and employees. The retail giant will begin issuing PPE to employees who desire it and will take the temperatures of all employees upon arrival to stores or warehouses.
Walmart has issued infrared thermometers to all its stores and warehouses, which are expected to arrive over the next few weeks. Employees will have their temperature checked before beginning a shift, any employees with a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will be sent home and asked to remain home until their fever has vanished for three days. Workers will still be paid for showing up, and any workers who catch the coronavirus or have their store closed by authorities will receive up to two weeks' pay.
Walmart has sourced PPE in the form of gloves and high-grade protective masks and will make them available to employees who request them. "They will be high-quality masks, but not N95 respirators - which should be reserved for at-risk healthcare workers," Walmart said of the masks. "If an associate feels more comfortable wearing masks, we want to give them that opportunity to do so."
Previously, Walmart had joined a slew of other retailers in installing plexiglass safety barriers at checkouts, pharmacy counters, and other areas throughout the store as an added layer of protection for workers.
Walmart's new safety measures come amid walkouts and strikes by workers for Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Instacart to secure better protections against the pandemic from their employers as well as a safety net for those who cannot work. Earlier this week, Instacart workers started striking despite an attempt by Instacart to appease its workers with hand sanitizer. Similarly, workers at Amazon's Staten Island distribution center walked out for similar reasons. However, Amazon drew immense scrutiny for its firing of one of the strike organizers, which prompted an investigation by authorities. Workers across the country plan more Amazon strikes.