Citizens
Workers could be fired for wearing masks without a doctor’s certificate, although the rule doesn’t apply in California and Oregon
Tuesday 18 July 2023 at 7pm BST
In-N-Out Burger, the popular fast-food chain, has told employees in five states they can no longer wear medical masks at work and could lose their jobs if they refuse to comply unless they have a notice from them doctor.
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According to a company memo leaked on Twitter, the guidelines are being put in place to “emphasise the importance of customer service and the ability to showcase our employees’ smiles and other facial features, while considering the health and well-being of all people.”
It is scheduled to go into effect August 14 for workers in Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona and Utah unless they have a “specific medical condition or medical condition that requires the wearing of a mask,” along with a “valid medical certificate”.
Employees who refuse to comply will be subject to disciplinary action “up to and including termination of employment”. The policy does not apply in California or Oregon, where employers are prohibited from prohibiting employee masking.
In-N-Out Burger has previously been criticized for commenting on Covid-19 recommendations, including a refusal in 2021 to check customers’ vaccination status indoors. In this case, the chain closed five of its restaurants in Costa County, California, after authorities closed its San Francisco branch.
“In-N-Out Burger firmly believes in the highest form of customer service and for us that means serving all customers who visit us and making all customers feel welcome,” said the company’s General Counsel, Arnie Wensinger, back then.
“We refuse to become a government’s vaccine police force,” Wensinger added. “It is unreasonable, intrusive and unsafe to force our restaurant staff to separate customers into those who are allowed to be served and those who are not allowed to be served, whether based on the documentation they carry with them or for any other reason.”
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