Starbucks Imposes Vaccine, Testing Requirements for U.S. Workers

U.S. workers must disclose their vaccination status by Jan. 10, Starbucks said. The company had previously allowed baristas to report their vaccination status on a voluntary basis.

Starbucks Chief Operating Officer John Culver wrote in a message to employees last week that he understands that workers have a range of views on vaccination. But Mr. Culver said Starbucks is strongly encouraging all workers to get vaccinated, particularly as the Omicron variant spreads.

“My responsibility, and that of every leader, is to do whatever we can to help keep you safe and to create the safest work environment possible,” Mr. Culver wrote.

Last month, a federal appeals court reinstated Biden administration rules that require businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure that their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly for Covid-19. The Supreme Court said it would hear oral arguments early this month on emergency appeals filed by groups of employers and Republican officials trying to stop the requirements.

The Labor Department said in December it would give employers until Feb. 9 to comply with the rule’s testing requirements, an extension from an original Jan. 4 deadline.

Starbucks is one of the first large U.S. restaurant groups to say it will comply with the mandates and outline an approach. Many restaurants are struggling to hire and retain workers, and owners have said they fear that the mandate will scare off prospective employees. Restaurants are also struggling to fully staff their stores as the Omicron variant causes more cases among employees.

Starbucks said in a separate message to its U.S. stores last week that it is experiencing more instances of Covid-19 exposure, cases and self-isolations among its workforce. The company said it was extending referral bonuses, paid to baristas for recommending hourly workers, to $200 from $50 through April 3.

On Monday, Starbucks also said it was shortening the isolation period for workers with a Covid-19 case to 5 days from 10 following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s revisions to its recommended quarantine practices, which the agency outlined last week.

Mr. Culver told employees in his message that the company explored many options, including experimenting with Covid-19 testing in one market, before coming up with its plan requiring vaccination or ongoing testing. Starbucks will hold sessions with employees to discuss the requirements in coming weeks, he said.

“There is no ‘perfect’ option, and every scenario has its own complexities,” he wrote.

Write to Heather Haddon at [email protected]