Walmart’s new COVID-19 emergency sick leave policy falls short of what’s needed to protect employees and customers, leaving workers afraid they’ll be forced to come to work even if they feel sick, according to a review of internal documents and conversations with staffers across the country. The company touted its new policy as prioritizing the health of employees, but it actually applies only to a narrow segment of workers ― those who test positive for the coronavirus currently spreading across the world. It doesn’t cover those who feel sick and haven’t been tested, are immunocompromised, or came in close contact with someone who is ill. Walmart workers told HuffPost they still feel pressure to come in and interact with big crowds of customers as the epidemic spreads; some said they’d like to stay home but couldn’t afford to do so. With the pandemic likely to continue for months, Walmart workers who are older or immunocompromised, or close to those who are, could be at high-risk. One 20-year-old associate in the Midwest, who like others quoted in this story asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, said he wasn’t that worried about becoming sick but that he lives with his parents and both have health conditions that put them at risk. “Several people I work with are in the same condition, they’re at home with family members, people in hospice care,” he said. “People at the store with heart conditions are still coming in.” Walmart is the largest employer in the private sector, with 1.5 million U.S. employees. It’s also seeing an incredible surge in business right now as panicked Americans stock up on groceries. The moves it makes on sick leave will be both incredibly influential on other major retailers, and with so many workers and such big crowds, a key part of the public health response to the outbreak. Walmart announced its emergency policy on March 10. It gives staff 14 days of paid sick leave if they’re diagnosed with the coronavirus or officially placed under quarantine by a government official or doctor. After that, workers can take longer-term leave, if they qualify, and earn up to $200 per week. It’s not much, considering that a copayment to the emergency room under the company’s health plan is $300, according to a document reviewed by HuffPost.

mpi04/MediaPunch/IPx Shoppers stocking up on groceries in a Walmart in Coconut Creek, Florida, last week.

The company’s initial announcement led some workers to believe the policy would apply to those who felt sick or had been in contact with someone ill, even if they had not officially been diagnosed. “Your health is our priority, and, as we’ve said before, we want any associate who is not feeling well to stay home,” said the press release. That’s not the case. In the memo, as well as in subsequent messages to employees reviewed by HuffPost, Walmart makes clear that those who choose to stay home without an official diagnosis would not receive the emergency paid sick leave. All Walmart was doing was getting rid of its usual penalties on those who call in sick. Typically workers are allowed five such “occurrences” in a six-month period, after which they can be fired. Now, if they stay home because they are unable to work or feel uncomfortable going to work, their job is protected and they will not be penalized for up to 14 days, or longer with a doctor’s note, according to one document.

It’s this fake thing designed to telegraph to consumers it’s safe to shop there, but not a benefit that workers are going to be able to access in this moment when things are escalating every day. Rachel Deutsch, Center for Popular Democracy

An associate who makes $12 an hour working overnight stocking shelves in Virginia said he’s unsure whether he should quit. “I feel Walmart will not support my personal decision [to] stay home if this gets worse in my area,” he said. The Virginia associate doesn’t have health insurance and worries about the costs of getting sick. “I also don’t want to be another irresponsible person walking around spreading [coronavirus],” he said.

Courtesy Walmart associates The details on Walmart's policy. (Sedgewick is a third party that helps manages time-off requests.)

A Walmart worker based in Florida said the policy details were a disappointment. After he first heard about the new policy, he “finally felt like we were put as a priority.” “We have to endure every major storm, shootings, and whatever other personal problem that arises and still show up to work, otherwise it is held against us,” he said. But this associate said he was let down once he learned the details. “It seems like this policy was just done to make the company look better without actually doing anything.” he said. “As per usual the shareholders and customers were put above us.” ‘It’s This Fake Thing’ Walmart’s new COVID-19 leave policy as written is overly complex and restrictive, said Rachel Deutsch, supervising attorney for worker justice at the Center for Popular Democracy. (Her organization sometimes teams up with United for Respect, which advocates for Walmart workers.) HuffPost obtained follow-up memos and FAQ for workers that outlined a labyrinthine process of obtaining paid leave. “It’s this fake thing designed to telegraph to consumers it’s safe to shop there, but not a benefit that workers are going to be able to access in this moment when things are escalating every day,” Deutsch said. “There will be people who die who work at Walmart because of this policy.” If Walmart was serious about protecting workers and customers, the company would trust its workforce and tell them they can stay home and still get paid if they’re feeling unwell or are uncomfortable coming in, Deutsch said. Still, Walmart received kudos for the policy, as did other employers who announced similar benefits.

ASSOCIATED PRESS President Donald Trump shakes hands with Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart Inc., during a news conference about the coronavirus on Friday.