Who’s doing what with vaccine mandates

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic controversy has erupted regarding when employees would return to office-spaces, how often should employees be tested for COVID-19, and now, which companies will mandate their workers are vaccinated against COVID-19.  

Vaccine mandates can range from double dose requirements in order to access common areas, certain employees needing to be vaccinated based on their position, and there can be booster requirements. Without a medical or religious exemption, unvaccinated employees may face termination or an unpaid leave of absence. 

On 13 January, the US supreme court denied President Biden’s COVID-19 test or vaccine mandate requirement of major companies with over 100 employees. Defending their decision, the justices wrote, “such unprecedented circumstances provide no ground for limiting the exercise of authorities the agency has long been recognized to have.”  

Biden expressed his disappointment following this news and appealed to large companies in his statement: “[This] does not stop me from using my voice as president to advocate for employers to do the right thing to protect Americans’ health and economy.”  

Without government support, companies are facing difficult decisions about whether to require vaccine mandates. With the unionization of certain sectors within companies, it is increasingly difficult for companies to require vaccinations for their entire employee base, according to a New York Times article. 

Research by the World Economic Forum (WEF) highlighted the employee response to vaccine mandates may incite further disputes – amid the ‘Great Resignation’ employers must balance a fine line to ensure employee retention.

The WEF found in the US 22% would quit their jobs or work remotely if their company did not require mask mandates, frequent testing, or required vaccination. Contrastingly, 12% said they would quit their job in the case of a vaccine mandate.  

As mandates continue to be discussed by big brands, it is hard to follow along with what big companies are doing. Here is a list of what big US companies are doing at the moment. 

What big brands are doing

The New York times surveyed 500 top corporations about their COVID-19 vaccine policies. Only 129 companies responded to their survey or publicly announced their protocol. The results are widely varied. 

75 companies require vaccinations for some workers. Some examples are Walmart, CVS Health, GAP, Uber, Meta, United Airlines, and Ford.  

Five of those companies requiring vaccinations will also offer testing as an alternative method. This includes Dell Technologies, Liberty Mutual, Leidos, Gannet, and American Family Institutes.  

12 companies will discipline or terminate unvaccinated employees, include TJX, United Airlines, Hershey, Genesis Healthcare, and Tyson Foods.

36 companies announced that their plans will depend on federal, state, or local vaccine mandates. Some examples are Starbucks, General Motors, JetBlue, American Airlines, and CarMax.  

18 companies told the New York Times they have no plans to require vaccinations such as the Home Depot, Bank of America, Macy’s, Sanderson Farms, and State Farm.  

This is the state of play as it currently stands, but stay tuned for updates as the COVID-19 situation evolves.