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Tyson announces vaccinated workers can get 20 hours of paid sick leave starting next year

A Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Indiana.
Michael Conroy/AP Photo
  • Tyson will give vaccinated workers 20 hours of paid sick leave starting in 2022.
  • In August, Tyson mandated all employees get the vaccine by November 1.
  • Delta recently announced unvaccinated workers would pay $200 more for health insurance a month.

Tyson will give fully vaccinated workers 20 hours of paid sick leave a year to incentivize employees to get the shot.

The meat processor announced the new paid sick leave policy Friday. Tyson will also give all new vaccinated hires one week of paid vacation after six months of employment. 

In August, Tyson mandated all employees get the vaccine by November 1 due to the surge of COVID-19 cases stemming from the delta variant.

Tyson worked with unions representing 31,000 workers on the new policy, which will cover workers in all US facilities, per The Wall Street Journal

Tyson is not the only firm to announce changes in benefits for vaccinated and unvaccinated employees. Delta announced unvaccinated workers would have to pay $200 more for health insurance per month. The charge would cover the financial risk taken on by Delta for having unvaccinated employees, CEO Ed Bastian announced in August.

Other companies are offering cash incentives for vaccinated workers. Amazon reportedly instituted a lottery where vaccinated employees have a chance to win cars, vacation packages, and $500,000. Kroger gave employees a one-time $100 payment for getting the vaccine, and Walmart doubled its cash incentive to $150.

"These measures are the latest examples of our ongoing efforts to make Tyson the most sought-after place to work, while reinforcing the importance of team members' health and safety," Johanna Söderström, executive vice president and chief human resources officer of Tyson Foods, said in a statement.