A few weeks ago, my county got slapped with a "high rate of transmission" notice, and my job (Walmart) reinstated masks for everyone, regardless of status.
My team lead went on vacation pretty soon after this. Very upset that the vaxx'd had to remask, since that was her entire reason for it.
While she was gone, you could tell people were fed up. Masks were always below the chin on the floor, and no one wore masks in the back, with many ripping them off as soon as they walked through the associate doors.
Being with a medical exemption, I was provided with a face shield. I wore it once, realized it gave me horrible migraines (a condition I suffer from chronically already), and never wore it on the floor again.
I would keep it near my workstation, but never on me.
With this, I was only ever asked once to put it on, by one of the higher ranking members of management, but even he didnt care subsequent times he saw me.
Anyway. I had 4 days off, starting the day she got back.
When I went in this morning, it was a changed store.
I work the 4am shift, so its a couple hours before the store opened.
No one would wear their mask on the floor while we weren't open.
Yet as soon as I walked in, I saw masks hanging off of many chins. People wearing masks in the back.
At 6am my manager announced over the intercom that we were open, and everyone better "mask up". No one did this while she was gone.
I heard several people loudly complain about the new announcements.
3 times she came up to me, told me I have to wear my dunce gear or I have to go home. I told her the headgear causes migraines and she simply said "its policy." And walked away.
By the third she said she was done "asking" and sending me home, saying that I cant work here if I'm not going to wear a mask, and that if it puts me over points (for automatic termination) than so be it.
So yeah.
Ill be the third person gone this week, with 2 others putting in their notices.
People are tired of this. They aren't taking it anymore.
TL;DR: Mask Nazi comes back from vacation and tanks the entire store's moral, by micromanaging everyones mask wearing, since shes pissy that shes vaxx'd and has to re-wear one.
Massive quitting and firing all over the store ensue.
Edit: Thanks for all the support Pedes.
It's a definite firing as my medical issues have ironically caused me to either miss or go home early a few times, so I was already pretty close to my point limit for automatic firing, and I'm pretty sure she knew, since she just fired another one of my teammates.
I'm happy I stood my ground though, because I've been hearing that many of the ancient employees, who have been there for 20-30+ years, are getting fed up about it, and are planning to quit.
Side note about suing and such, my mother is actually a secretary for a law firm, that specializes in workers comp and other worker related issues, so her boss has already offered to take a look.
Hopefully it all goes well. At the very least, like most places, everywhere has a "Help Wanted" sign. I won't be without a job for long, and God seems to always guide me to where I need to go.
Do not quit. Don't ever quit. You legal recourse will evaporate otherwise. It sounds to me like you have a very good legal case because you have already a known medical condition. There is no law for wearing a face mask. In fact, many states actually have existing laws against it. Walmart does not make laws nor do they have the right to make company policy contrary to the law. When there's no law that means there can be no company policy where no such law exists. Walmart is not a licensed medical practitioner. Face masks (N-95 and surgeon masks) are classified as a medical product and therefore is regulated. Furthermore, they are not medically insured for any sudden medical conditions resulting from the policy. They are liable.
Agreed. I'm making them fire me. If they say I can't work, then I wont.
Its funny about facemasks, they literally have a poster, right next to the clock in machine, that says that masks are essentially useless, but they are still mandating them to help "stop the spread of illness."
Its a joke.
Wow. The irony of that is breath taking.
I'm more interested in the moral aspect of, "Fuck you! You're going to have to escort me off the property and be embarrassed for being a coward."
Bonus points if you film it. Shame them on the way out.