The coronavirus changed the world. The deadly virus that swarmed the globe has killed millions and infected almost 200 million. As vaccines continue to roll out in a bid to bring Earth back to normalcy, some companies will be requiring workers to be fully vaccinated. One of those companies is Google.
Google requires COVID-19 vaccinations for employees
Reported by The New York Times, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai sent a letter to employees regarding the new rules. Pichai explained that vaccinations will be mandatory for any workers that will be returning to offices.
The CEO explained that this mandate is one of the most important decisions for Google employees. He said: “Getting vaccinated is one of the most important ways to keep ourselves and our communities healthy in the months ahead.”
These new vaccines rules will be in effect at U.S. offices in “the coming weeks". Other regions will see the rule arrive “in the coming months", likely depending on specific areas' vaccine rollout. Currently, Google officially employs more than 144,000 workers worldwide.
Despite the high number of employees, Pichai explained that the company already has “very high vaccination rates". These new rules appear to simply make sure all bases are covered to make office spaces safe for all.
While employees wait for vaccinations, Google's work at home policy is being extended.
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What about other companies?
With Google being the first big tech company to require mandatory vaccines, it's normal to question if any others will follow suit. At the time of writing, Netflix and Facebook have both joined in with the mandate.
For Netflix, it appears that they will also require film crews and actors to be vaccinated on upcoming productions. Facebook has only stated that United States workers are required to be vaccinated at this time.
One outlier in this regard is Apple. While the iPhone company has extended its work at home period until October, it's yet to require vaccines. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook has stated that they're currently considering mandatory vaccinations.
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