According to CNBC, Google is threatening its unvaccinated employees with firing. Specifically, the site reported that the company told employees that they would lose their pay, and eventually be fired, if they did not comply with its COVID-19 vaccination policy.
A memo allegedly released by management said employees had until Dec. 3 to declare their vaccination status and upload documents to prove their claims. If someone did not want or could not get the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, they would have to apply for an exemption. After that date, Google said it would begin contacting unvaccinated employees, employees who had not disclosed their vaccination status, and those whose exemption requests were not approved.
See also: IBM is leaving unvaccinated employees unpaid
The document, which CNBC claims to have seen, said that employees who fail to comply with vaccination rules by Jan. 18 will be placed on “paid leave” for 30 days. After that, the company will give them “unpaid leave” for up to six months and eventually fire them if they continue to be unvaccinated.
While many tech companies are saying they will further delay the return to the office due to the pandemic, Google wants employees back in the office (at least three days a week) sometime in the new year. And as the CNBC report shows, Google is showing limited patience with its unvaccinated employees.
The Biden administration has ordered American companies with 100 or more employees to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated or routinely tested by January 18.
Google has asked its 150,000 employees to upload their vaccination status to its internal systems, whether they plan to come to the office or not, emphasizing that the company will follow President Biden's order.
See also: Apple employees will return to the office on February 1st
“We expect that nearly all roles at Google (in the US) will fall within the scope of the executive order,” Google’s note said. “Anyone entering a Google building must be fully vaccinated or have an approved permit that allows them to work or come to the site,” the company said, adding that “frequent testing is not a valid alternative.”
Google and parent company Alphabet have long been pro-vaccine. CEO Sundar Pichai announced in July that the company would require the vaccine for those returning to the office. The return was originally planned for January. But in early December, amid ongoing concerns about the number of cases, Google told U.S. employees that the return would be delayed. However, where possible, the company is encouraging employees to go to their offices.
Learn more: Google: Return to offices postponed again
The vaccine mandate has not been universally embraced by employees. Several hundred Google employees signed and circulated a manifesto opposing the company's requirements. Google has said that all employees directly or indirectly involved with federal government contracts will be required to get the vaccine (per Biden's executive order) even if they are working from home.
Employees placed on unpaid leave will be able to keep their benefits for the first 92 days, the memo said. If after six months they still fail to comply with company policies, “their employment with Google will be terminated.”
Source: CNBC
