Misleading: Supermarket chain Aldi will terminate the employment of all unvaccinated workers by March 2022.

By: Praveen Kumar
January 13 2022

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Only Aldi Australia has made COVID-19 vaccination a requirement for its employees. The supermarket chain has not mandated it in other countries.An article published by conspiracy theory and pseudoscience promoting website The Daily Exposé on November 20 claimed that supermarket chain Aldi has made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all its employees. Those unvaccinated would be let go from their jobs by March 2022, according to the article. It includes an image of what appears to be an official company letter sent to Aldi employees with revised conditions and requirements. The article mentions that this mandate has been introduced in Australia and speculates that it would be imposed U.K. as well. However, it is misleading. According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation News, supermarket chains like Woolworths, Coles, and Aldi in the country started requiring their employees to get vaccinated to make the workplace safer and reduce the likeliness of its employees and customers contracting and spreading COVID-19. These decisions result from certain Australian state and territory governments mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for specific types of employment and some community activities, for example, workers at care homes. Aldi Australia announced in October that COVID-19 vaccination was made a condition for ongoing and continued employment after consulting employees on its COVID Safety Plan, with the majority of them supporting making COVID-19 vaccination a requirement. It does not apply to those who have a valid medical exemption. The above-mentioned image of the letter has made its rounds on social media. Twitter users have asked Aldi Careers UK and Aldi Careers Ireland if it was the same in their respective countries. Both official Twitter handles of Aldi have replied to such questions by stating it is not applicable in the U.K. and Ireland and is a requirement for Aldi employees all over Australia only. Similarly, the COVID-19 updates published on Aldi's official United States website show that vaccination is not mandatory for its employees. However, face masks and social distancing are required for unvaccinated workers and customers. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.