Walmarts new COVID-19 emergency sick leave policy falls short of whats needed to protect employees and customers, leaving workers afraid theyll be forced to come to work even if they feel sick, according to a review of internal documents and conversations with staffers across the country.

The company touted its new policy as prioritizing the health of employees, but it actually applies only to a narrow segment of workers those who test positive for the coronavirus currently spreading across the world. It doesnt cover those who feel sick and havent been tested, are immunocompromised, or came in close contact with someone who is ill.

Walmart workers told HuffPost they still feel pressure to come in and interact with big crowds of customers as the epidemic spreads; some said theyd like to stay home but couldnt afford to do so. With the pandemic likely to continue for months, Walmart workers who are older or immunocompromised, or close to those who are, could be at high-risk.

One 20-year-old associate in the Midwest, who like others quoted in this story asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, said he wasnt that worried about becoming sick but that he lives with his parents and both have health conditions that put them at risk.

Several people I work with are in the same condition, theyre at home with family members, people in hospice care, he said. People at the store with heart conditions are still coming in.

Walmart is the largest employer in the private sector, with 1.5 million U.S. employees. Its also seeing an incredible surge in business right now as panicked Americans stock up on groceries. The moves it makes on sick leave will be both incredibly influential on other major retailers, and with so many workers and such big crowds, a key part of the public health response to the outbreak.

Walmart announced its emergency policy on March 10. It gives staff 14 days of paid sick leave if theyre diagnosed with the coronavirus or officially placed under quarantine by a government official or doctor. After that, workers can take longer-term leave, if they qualify, and earn up to $200 per week. Its not much, considering that a copayment to the emergency room under the companys health plan is $300, according to a document reviewed by HuffPost.