Walmart Says ‘Overwhelming Majority’ Meet Staff Vaccine Mandate

(Bloomberg) -- Walmart Inc. said “the overwhelming majority” of employees required to get Covid-19 vaccines have received the shots. 

A “very small percentage” of the U.S. headquarters and regional staff covered by the company mandate are partially inoculated or haven’t gotten the shots, Walmart said in an email without providing specific numbers. Employees who aren’t fully vaccinated can complete the process this month “while on a leave of absence,” the retail giant said. 

“We’ll look forward to having them return to work as soon as they are fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation,” Walmart said. Some staffers have received medical or religious exemptions from the mandate, which in most cases means they will have regular tests, wear masks and socially distance. 

Walmart, the largest private-sector employer in the U.S., is following through on its requirement for corporate-campus staff to be vaccinated by Oct. 4 -- a mandate that also applies to market, regional and divisional employees who work in multiple facilities. Front-line store employees will be subject to President Joe Biden’s plan to require personnel at businesses with more than 100 workers to be fully vaccinated or get tested each week.

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