As coronavirus infections rise sharply in the U.S. and a significant portion of the population remains unvaccinated, some employers — most recently Delta Air Lines — have responded by requiring workers to get the jab, or face the consequences. Those range from being barred from the office to having to get mandatory COVID testing. Here are some of the big-name companies now requiring employees to prove they're vaccinated.
Delta says 75% of its employees have gotten the jab, but recently raised the stakes for holdouts. The carrier now says unvaccinated employees will immediately be required to wear masks indoors or on company property. It will also require unvaccinated employees to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing starting Sept. 12 and pay a hefty $200 monthly health insurance surcharge starting Nov. 1, according to The Washington Post. Finally, as of Sept. 30, Delta's coronavirus pay protection program will apply only to breakthrough cases.
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Citing the rise of COVID-19 variants, McDonald's says it will now require all of its office staff to be vaccinated before returning to work in person. Corporate staff had been slated for a Sept. 7 return, but McDonald's has pushed back the date to Oct. 11 to allow additional time for the vaccination process. The burger giant will stop short of requiring vaccines for its restaurant workers, but it has offered employees at corporately owned locations paid time off as an incentive to get vaccinated.
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Like other financial institutions, Citigroup is requiring its workers to return to the office this fall and manadating vaccinations, too. The company announced on LinkedIn that employees in the New York City area, as well as in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., must work at least two days a week on-site and show proof of vaccination as of Sept. 13. In-office masking will also be mandatory.
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After announcing earlier that all new hires as of June 15 must be fully vaccinated, United Airlines has gone a step further. In early August, the airline announced that all current employees must also show proof of vaccination by Oct. 25, the first major airline to do so. As an enticement, United is offering its workers a day off with pay if they do so by Sept. 20, according to The New York Times.
The nation’s largest poultry processor has announced that all of its employees — around 120,000 of them — must be vaccinated by Nov. 1. The company is offering a $200 incentive to entice unvaccinated workers to get the jab, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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The retailer announced at the end of July that all managerial and corporate employees would be required to show proof of vaccination by Oct. 4, according to CNBC. Walmart is also offering its warehouse and retail workers an incentive of $150 to get vaccinated.
The internet giant now says that all workers planning to work in the office will be required to be vaccinated. However, the company has postponed its plans for workers to return to U.S. campuses until at least the end of October.
Not to be outdone by Google, Facebook made a similar announcement on July 28 via Twitter. It did not release details of when or how the plan would take effect.
The mouse is not messing around with COVID: All new hires must be vaccinated, the company told CNN. Current non-union and salaried workers who are already in the office must get vaccinated by the end of October, and remote workers must provide proof of vaccination before they’ll be allowed back in company workplaces.
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New hires and current employees returning to the office this September will be required to show proof of vaccination, publisher Frederick J. Ryan Jr. said in an email to Washington Post staff on July 27.
This investment firm began requiring all employees, as well as clients and guests, in the New York City metro area to be vaccinated as of July 1 or be barred from company offices.
This investment bank has also been aggressive about implementing an employee vaccination policy, imposing a requirement on June 10. "If you do not report your vaccine status to Goldman, your ID card will not work to enter the building," a Goldman spokesperson told CNN.
The nonprofit Catholic healthcare company, which operates hospitals and clinics in 19 states and Washington, D.C., announced on July 27 that all 160,000 associates, including independent and contract workers, would be required to be vaccinated by Nov. 12. The policy applies regardless of whether employees interact with patients.
The cruise line was one of the first to embrace a corporate vaccine policy. It announced April 5 that all passengers and crew would be required to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure, USA Today reported.
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The media giant announced in late July that all cast and crew who work directly on Netflix-produced shows must be vaccinated, the trade industry site Deadline reports.
