Whole Foods Markets‘ workers plan to stage a nationwide “sick out” Tuesday, March 31, claiming the company isn’t doing enough to protect and help its employees during the coronavirus pandemic.

The action follows reports from workers that various stores in California, New York City, Chicago and Louisiana have remained open after employees tested positive for COVID-19.

In a March 30 message (#GlobalSickOut #March31st) on Twitter, workers said the virus is “a very real threat” to the safety of Whole Foods employees and customers. “We cannot wait for politicians, institutions, or our own management to step in to protect us,” the post said. “On March 31, do not go to work.”

Whole Foods, a division of Amazon, has temporarily relaxed its strict attendance policy, the post said, which means employees can participate in the protest without fear of reprisal.

Grocery workers have been working long hours amid a coronavirus-spurred buying binge that’s wiped shelves clean of basic goods. Many supermarket chains have instituted raises for employees, limited shoppers inside and gone to shorter shopping days so staff can have more time to sanitize stores.

Many workers insist enough is not being done to protect them.

An employee at the Whole Foods in Huntington Beach tested positive for the novel coronavirus in recent weeks and is under quarantine. The store remained open, underlining a lack of clear, uniform protocols for grocers with infected employees. Local officials have deferred to state and federal guidelines rather than pursue more exacting measures adopted by some counties.

Amazon, Instacart workers also walkout

Workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York walked out at lunch Monday over concerns about safety at the job site, according to USA Today. Co-workers feared for their health because they weren’t always physically distanced and the site was not closed to be sanitized. In Riverside County, a worker and family members of others allege safety is being ignored at an Eastvale distribution facility where 50- to 60-hour workweeks are now common.

Fears of contamination also prompted an estimated 150,000 workers for grocery delivery service Instacart to stage a nationwide strike Monday.

Whole Foods employees are calling for Amazon to implement a number of changes, including guaranteed paid leave for workers who isolate or self-quarantine instead of coming to work.

Other demands include:

Reinstatement of healthcare coverage for part-time and seasonal workers

Increased funding to cover coronavirus testing and treatment for all employees

Guaranteed hazard pay in the form of double-pay during scheduled hours

Immediate shutdown of any location where a worker tests positive for COVID-19

In the event a store closes, all workers should receive full pay until it reopens

They are also asking for adequate sanitation procedures and policies that encourage social distancing between workers and customers, measures the company says it already has in place.

Whole Foods policy changes

When contacted Monday, Whole Foods didn’t respond to the allegations. But its website indicates the chain has implemented a number of safety precautions to help and protect workers.

The changes include unlimited call-outs for workers who are unable or unwilling to work their scheduled shift, and a $2-an-hour pay hike for all employees through April. The company is also doubling the regular hourly base pay for every overtime hour worked in a workweek from March 16 through May 3.

Whole Foods said all workers placed into quarantine or diagnosed with COVID-19 will receive up to an additional two weeks of paid time off.

Becerra seeks change

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra recently joined a coalition of 15 attorneys general in sending a letter to Whole Foods and Amazon, urging the companies to step up efforts to protect workers.

“These workers, and all hardworking Americans, deserve the basic workplace protection of paid sick leave,” Becerra said in a statement. “The COVID-19 global pandemic makes this clearer than ever before.”

The coalition is calling for:

Two weeks of fully paid time off (up to $511 per day) to full-time employees to self-quarantine, seek a diagnosis or preventive care or receive treatment for COVID-19

Fully paid time off (up to $511 per day) to part-time employees for the number of hours they work in a typical two-week period to self-quarantine, seek a diagnosis or preventive care, or receive treatment for COVID-19

Twelve weeks of paid leave at two-thirds of their regular pay (up to $200 per day) to employees to care for a family member who is diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed in quarantine, or to care for a child whose school has closed or child care service is unavailable due to COVID-19

Staff writer Martin Wisckol contributed to this report.