Kroger is no longer offering paid emergency leave to unvaccinated workers who catch COVID-19

• Kroger will stop some paid emergency leave for unvaccinated workers, The Wall Street Journal reported.
• It said in a memo those workers will no longer get two weeks paid leave if infected with COVID-19.

The grocery chain Kroger will no longer offer paid emergency leave to unvaccinated workers who get infected with COVID-19, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a memo to employees sent last week.

The policy comes into effect on January 1, 2022, The Journal reported.

The Journal reported that the rule change will apply "unless local jurisdictions require otherwise."

The company is also adding a $50-per-month charge to the health plans of managers who aren't vaccinated and of non-union employees, the memo said, according to The Journal.

Kroger earlier this year paid employees $100 to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and let employees who can't get vaccinated do a health-and-safety course to get the payment. It also gave prizes to people who got vaccinated its stores.

The new policy comes amid a push by President Joe Biden's administration for companies to ensure their employees are vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.

Biden wants to enforce vaccination for federal government employees and employees at companies with more than 100 workers from January 4. Employees would also be able to get regularly tested instead.

But his plans face a series of legal challenges, and pushback from Republicans.