Google to require vaccinations for on-campus workers
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3 min read . Updated: 28 Jul 2021, 11:49 PM IST - Tech giant postpones planned return to offices until mid-October after earlier targeting late September
Google will require all of its workers coming to campus to be vaccinated, joining a number of public and private enterprises taking new precautions as the highly infectious Delta variant of Covid-19 sweeps the U.S.
The Alphabet Inc.-owned search giant also said it is delaying its workforce’s return to offices until mid-October, after previously planning to get most staff back on site at the end of September.
Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told employees in a note Wednesday that the Mountain View, Calif.-based company would begin requiring anyone on its U.S. campuses to be vaccinated in the coming weeks. He said Google would expand that requirement to other countries in future months.
Mr. Pichai said that he hoped that the vaccination requirement would give its workforce of more than 135,000 employees across more than a dozen states and 50 countries “greater peace of mind as offices open."
“Getting vaccinated is one of the most important ways to keep ourselves and our communities healthy in the months ahead," he said.
He added that accommodations would be made for people who can’t be vaccinated for medical or other protected reasons. Those whose reasons are political will be asked to continue to work from home and speak with human resources regarding their options.
Google is among the largest private companies in the U.S. to introduce a vaccination requirement for its workforce. It comes on the heels of similar rules introduced in recent days by federal and local governments eager to boost vaccination rates, which have stalled across the country at 49%.
Workplace vaccine mandates have been rare so far because such requirements can prompt employee lawsuits and trigger confrontations with noncompliant staff, employment attorneys say. They also risk companies’ losing out on talent in a tight labor market.
Unvaccinated Americans represent the majority of patients driving up Covid-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. as the Delta variant spreads. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that vaccinated people resume wearing masks in some indoor spaces, changing its May guidance because more than 60% of counties are reporting high levels of viral transmission.
Morgan Stanley was among the first to require employees be vaccinated before returning to offices. Other banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. have asked or required that employees disclose their vaccination status. Companies outside the banking industry have adopted other measures to encourage inoculation, such as allowing workers with proof of vaccination to forgo masks indoors.
Google’s return-to-work delay comes a week after Apple Inc. delayed its return to the office by at least a month. The San Francisco Bay Area, where both tech giants are based, has vaccination rates exceeding the state and national averages but still has only about 60% of people vaccinated in many of its counties.
“We recognize that many Googlers are seeing spikes in their communities caused by the Delta variant and are concerned about returning to the office," Mr. Pichai said Wednesday. “This extension will allow us time to ramp back into work while providing flexibility for those who need it."
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Mr. Pichai said that Google would monitor Covid-19 cases and update staff about its return-to-work plans by mid-September or earlier.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text
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