Ford says it will require most of its salaried employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in accordance with the Biden administration’s December 8 deadline for federal contractors.
This means that approximately 32,000 people will be under the same guidance, and Ford says about 84% of its current employees are vaccinated. Reuters received a statement from Ford about the matter.
“The health and safety of our workforce remains our top priority and we have been very encouraged by the support of our employees to comply with our protocols, including the more than 84-percent of U.S. salaried employees who are already vaccinated,” Ford said. “As we continue to put measures in place to protect our team, Ford will now require most U.S. salaried employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8, which also aligns to federal contractor guidelines.”
You might notice that Ford includes the caveat of “most U.S. salaried employees” in there. That’s because it’s not sure if it will require every last employee to be vaccinated yet. According to the Reuters report, Ford is still considering its policy for manufacturing locations, parts depots and Ford Credit.
Those who don’t comply with the vaccine mandate will be placed on unpaid leave for 30 days. What comes after that is still unclear.
Detroit’s Big Three automakers — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — said last month they would mandate vaccines for autoworkersx in Canada.
Stellantis said on Wednesday it was “continuing to monitor the situation and, in partnership with the (United Auto Workers union), evaluating additional actions to take in the best interest of employee health and safety.”
GM did not immediately comment Wednesday.
Material from Reuters was used in this report.
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Source: www.autoblog.com