In-N-Out Burger, the California-based restaurant chain, will soon prohibit employees at its locations in five states from wearing a mask unless they obtain a doctor’s note, a company customer service representative confirmed Tuesday.
The rule will go into effect Aug. 14 for employees at the chain’s locations in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Utah, according to internal company emails leaked on social media last week. Employees who then choose to wear a mask will be required to use an N95 provided by the company.
In-N-Out Burger did not immediately respond to email and phone messages Tuesday.
In California, which has a law preventing employers from banning masks, and in Oregon, In-N-Out will continue to allow employees to wear masks if they choose, but they may only wear the N95s provided by the company.
In October 2021, In-N-Out had to temporarily shut down its San Francisco location because it refused to comply with the city’s requirement that all restaurants check vaccine cards for indoor diners.
The company said at the time that it refused “to become the vaccination police for any government.” The establishment reopened later that month, but only for outdoor dining.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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