There Is An Omicron Variant, Starbucks Requires Employees To Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Or Take Weekly Tests

Illustration of a Starbucks store. (Wikimedia Commons/David Howard)

JAKARTA - Starbucks requires its employees in the United States to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo routine testing, one of the first major restaurant chains to take a step ahead of a potential federal vaccination mandate for big employers.

Starbucks said Monday this week, workers at its cafes, offices and factories in the US should be vaccinated before February 9 or be tested weekly. Workers who choose the test should do it with a pharmacist or doctor, not do it at home and bear all costs for the test themselves.

US workers must disclose their vaccination status by January 10, Starbucks said. Previously, the company allowed baristas to report their vaccination status voluntarily.

Starbucks Chief Operating Officer (COO) John Culver wrote in a message to employees last week that he understands workers have different views on vaccinations. But, Culver said Starbucks strongly encourages all workers to be vaccinated, especially as the Omicron variant spreads.

"My responsibility, and that of every leader, is to do whatever we can to help you stay safe and create the safest possible work environment," he wrote, citing The Wall Street Journal Jan.

Last month, a federal appeals court reinstated President Joe Biden's administration rule, requiring businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure they've been vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 every week.

Starbucks illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Denis Denisov)

The Supreme Court said it would hear verbal arguments earlier this month about an emergency appeal filed by a group of businessmen and Republican officials trying to stop the terms.

Earlier, the Labor Department said in December it would give employers until February 9 to comply with the rules' testing requirements, an extension from the original January 4 deadline.

Starbucks was one of the first major US restaurant groups to say it would comply with its mandate and outline its approach. Many restaurants struggle to hire and retain workers, and owners say they fear the mandate will scare away potential employees. Restaurants are also struggling to keep full staff in their stores, as the Omicron variant is causing more cases among employees.

Last week, in a separate message to its US stores Starbucks said it was experiencing more cases of COVID-19 exposure, cases and self-isolation among its workforce.

Meanwhile, the company said it would extend the referral bonus, paid to baristas for recommending hourly workers, to $200 from $50 through April 3.

On Monday, Starbucks also said it would shorten the isolation period for workers with COVID-19 cases to 5 days from 10 days, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its recommended quarantine practices, set out last week.

Culver told employees in his message the company was exploring many options, including experimenting with testing for Covid-19 in one market, before coming up with a plan that would require vaccination or ongoing testing. "Starbucks will be holding sessions with employees to discuss terms in the coming weeks. There is no 'perfect' option and each scenario has its own complexities," he wrote.

To note, Starbucks has approximately 220,000 employees in the US who must disclose their vaccination status. A company source told Reuters as quoted on January 7, Starbucks is not currently experiencing extensive store closures as a result of the Omicron variant, unlike in the first half of 2020, when the pandemic forced it to temporarily close at least half of its US stores and convert the rest, only for drive-thru and takeout orders.