California's AG said Amazon left warehouse workers 'in the dark' about COVID-19 cases. Now the tech giant is paying the state $500,000.
Mark Lennihan/AP
- California's Attorney General said Amazon failed to properly notify staff about COVID-19 cases in warehouses.
- Amazon had agreed to pay $500,000 as part of a settlement, Rob Bonta said Monday.
- Amazon would also change how it notifies staff about cases, Bonta's office said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Monday that Amazon had failed to keep workers and authorities fully updated on how many COVID-19 cases it had detected in its workplaces, and that the tech giant had agreed to pay $500,000 as part of a settlement.
Amazon "failed to adequately notify warehouse workers and local health agencies of COVID-19 case numbers, often leaving them in the dark and unable to effectively track the spread of the virus," Bonta's office said in a press release. Under a California law passed in September 2020, employers must tell workers and local authorities about COVID-19 case numbers.
Bonta's original complaint, from earlier in November, said Amazon's notification system was insufficient. It notified workers to new cases, but did not specify how many new cases there were, per the complaint. Bonta's complaint also said that in some cases Amazon failed to send a notification to workers within one business day.
Amazon will pay $500,000 towards "further enforcement of California's consumer protection laws" as part of the settlement, Bonta's press release said.
Amazon had also promised to modify how it alerted workers to new COVID-19 cases in its workplaces, allow closer monitoring by local authorities, and alert authorities within 48 hours when it detects a new case, the release said.
"As our nation continues to battle the pandemic, it is absolutely critical that businesses do their part to protect workers now — and especially during this holiday season," Bonta said in a statement.
"Today's first-of-its-kind judgment will help ensure Amazon meets that requirement for its tens of thousands of warehouse workers across California," he added.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC there would be no changes to, and that there was no alleged problems with, the company's protocols for alerting workers to COVID-19 cases.
"We're glad to have this resolved and to see that the AG found no substantive issues with the safety measures in our buildings," the spokesperson told CNBC.
Amazon did not immediately respond when contacted by Insider.
The settlement is still subject to court approval.
Amazon workers told Insider in April 2020 that they weren't being told about all the potential COVID-19 exposures in their warehouses.
Amazon stopped testing employees for COVID-19 in July 2021, and announced earlier in November that fullynvaccinated warehouse staff no longer had to wear masks.
The company offered a lottery with a jackpot of $500,000 to workers who signed up to get vaccinated.
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