Key TakeawaysMany U.S. companies are requiring employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19.A cascade of vaccine “mandates” followed the FDA’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine.Not all vaccination mandates are created equal. Different companies have different policies. Not all corporate policies apply to franchises.

Key Takeaways

Many U.S. companies are requiring employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19.A cascade of vaccine “mandates” followed the FDA’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine.Not all vaccination mandates are created equal. Different companies have different policies. Not all corporate policies apply to franchises.

Although it is legal for employers to require workers to be vaccinated, some companies are more hesitant to implement a mandate. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) states that employers must provide “reasonable accommodations” for people who cannot get vaccinated because of reasons such as religious belief and disability.

Employers may have to consider possible allegations that a vaccine requirement “has a disparate impact on—or disproportionately excludes—employees based on their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin,” according to the EEOC.

Still, several major companies have implemented some sort of vaccination mandate. Below is a look at their different policies.

Can Your Employer Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines?

Goldman Sachs

A day after the FDA approval, Goldman Sachs announced that its U.S. employees must be vaccinated to return to the offices or they would need to work from home. In addition, all employees of the investment bank are required to wear masks in common areas and those who are fully vaccinated will also receive weekly COVID-19 tests starting in September, Reuters reported.

Other banks, like Morgan Stanely and Citigroup, also announced vaccine mandates after the FDA approval, according toReuters.

Delta Air Lines

Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian said in amemothat the average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost the company $50,000 per employee. “This surcharge is necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company,” he wrote.

The airline’s surcharge will be implemented via a “wellness program” that can impose penalties up to 30% of an employee’s health premium,Bloomberg Law reports.

Major U.S. airlines have been hesitant to impose a mandate to avoid clashes with labor unions for pilots, some of which have expressed concern about the vaccines. So far, onlyUnited Airlines and Hawaiian Airlinesrequire their employees to be vaccinated, while other airlines are holding off on their decisions.

Will Unvaccinated People Have to Pay More for Health Insurance?

Walmart

McDonald’s

Facebook & Google

FacebookandGoogleare both requiring employees to be vaccinated before returning to the office.

Appleis encouraging but not mandating vaccinations. The tech giant delayed its return to office until October, but said that all employees in offices and stores must wear masks even if they’re vaccinated.

Other tech companies, like Twitter and Amazon, have not updated their vaccine policies.

What This Means For YouIt is possible for your employer to require vaccination, and more companies are beginning to do so. However, not all company vaccination policies will be alike.

What This Means For You

It is possible for your employer to require vaccination, and more companies are beginning to do so. However, not all company vaccination policies will be alike.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Amin K, Cox C.Unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalizations cost the U.S. health system billions of dollars.Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. August 20, 2021.

1 Source

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Amin K, Cox C.Unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalizations cost the U.S. health system billions of dollars.Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. August 20, 2021.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Amin K, Cox C.Unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalizations cost the U.S. health system billions of dollars.Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. August 20, 2021.

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