Associated Food Stores – COVID-19 Practices Update (Effective 4/13/2023)

On Monday, April 10, President Biden signed legislation (House Joint Resolution 7) ending the COVID-19 national emergency a month earlier than originally planned.  With the national emergency rescinded, the Company has elected to rescind active COVID-19 practices as outlined previously.  As a result, and effective immediately:

 

  • Team members do not have to report positive COVID-19 cases to their supervisor, store leadership, or HR department.
  • There are no longer quarantine requirements if a team member contracts COVID-19; as always, team members experiencing any sickness should avoid work to prevent the spread of disease.
  • The Company will no longer track or report COVID-19 cases to state or county health authorities.
  • All previous practices regarding the use of masks are suspended.  Team members may elect to wear masks at their own discretion and expense provided the masks are in keeping with company guidelines.  Team members are expected to be respectful to co-workers who choose to wear masks.
  • Vaccination will remain highly encouraged but not required. COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be incentivized through Fitness Funds similarly to the regular flu vaccine.
  • Meetings and access to facilities will return to pre-pandemic levels.
  • Team members who need to be off longer than two weeks for any medically related reason including COVID-19, will be treated equally.
  • Moving forward, COVID-19 will be treated the same as all other sickness and illness.

 

We are committed to the Compass for Excellence and want to make sure all team members understand the importance of safety going forward. Safety is the first point of the Compass. It is critical that we create safe environments for our shoppers to shop in and our team to work in. With this change to our country’s emergency order and company’s policy, we would remind everyone that one of the more important practices we have established over the past 2-3 years is the care we have shown in avoiding coming to work sick. Please be diligent going forward and strive to keep all illness away from our work environment.

 

The company is grateful to all team members for their understanding and support throughout the pandemic.  We are looking forward to safe and profitable operations today and long into the future.