Walmart Starts Taking All Employees' Temperatures

Walmart continues to update its health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 outbreak. Employees in stores, clubs and facilities will now have their temperatures checked and be asked basic health-screening questions before reporting to work.

Associates who have a temperature of 100.0 degrees or higher will be asked to return home until they are fever-free for at least three days and seek medical treatment if necessary. They will still be paid for reporting to work, however. 

Infrared thermometers are being sent to all locations, which could take up to three weeks. 

Walmart is also sharing new "60-20-100" guidance with employees for when they're at work.

• 6 feet is the amount of space people should keep from others, when possible, to maintain social distancing.

• 20 seconds is the amount of time people should take to wash their hands with soap and water.

• 100 is the temperature that someone should stay home with.

As for masks and gloves, associates can wear them if they want.  

"While the CDC and other health officials do not recommend masks or gloves for healthy people who don't ordinarily use them for their jobs, we will make them available — as supplies permit — for associates who want to wear them," write John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., and Kath McLay, president and CEO of Sam's Club, in a joint blog post. "The masks will arrive in 1-2 weeks. They will be high-quality masks, but not N95 respirators – which should be reserved for at-risk health care workers."

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries, and ecommerce websites, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide. The company is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.