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An Overview of the Impact of Vaccine Mandates on US Employers

A survey of US employers shows how various companies have responded to the President's mandate


Some of the nation’s largest employers and businesses have taken action on the President’s Federal Vaccine Mandate.

Despite the challenges being heard by the Supreme Court in January, many of these companies have imposed requirements on employees and patrons alike. 

Some — possibly all — of these requirements will remain in effect regardless of the January outcome of the Supreme Court hearing by Justice Kavanaugh

Here is a list of the mandates and requirements being enforced by some of the nation’s top employers:

AT&T – All employees must be vaccinated.

Alaska Airlines – All U.S.-based employees had to be vaccinated by Dec. 8 and the airline offered a $200 incentive to get the shots.

American Airlines – All U.S.-based employees must be vaccinated by Jan. 4 or face termination. 

American Express – U.S. office employees and company visitors had to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 18, 2021, although remote work remained optional. When AmEx fully reopens its offices on Jan. 24, 2022, all workers are expected to be vaccinated, and there will not be a mandatory COVID-testing program. 

Ascension Health – All employees had to be vaccinated by Nov. 12, including those working remotely.

Capital One – All employees had to be vaccinated before offices were reopened on Nov. 2. Employees working from home could choose to remain unvaccinated and were “supported in doing so,” as stated in a company announcement.

Centene Corporation – All employees must provide proof of vaccination or undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear masks at all times in the office.

Chevron – Employees on U.S.-flagged ships must be vaccinated. Offshore workers in the Gulf of Mexico must be vaccinated by Nov. 1.

Cisco – All office workers must be vaccinated. 

Citigroup – All employees working in major cities had to be vaccinated by Sept. 13.

CNN – All employees must be vaccinated, and three have already been fired for violating the policy.

CVS – Pharmacists had to be vaccinated by Nov. 30, and corporate workers had to be immunized by Oct. 31, with exemptions for medical and religious reasons.

Deloitte – All employees had to be vaccinated by Oct. 11.

Delta Air Lines – All employees must be vaccinated or pay an additional $200 per month for their company-sponsored healthcare plan.

Disney – Disney announced that cast members must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 22, but in November retracted the mandate after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law prohibiting companies from forcing vaccines on workers.

DoorDash – All corporate employees working in person must be vaccinated.

Envision Healthcare – All employees must be vaccinated by Nov. 1 despite medical and religious exemptions.

Equinox – New York City employees and members must be vaccinated as of last September.

Facebook – All U.S. office workers must be vaccinated, but employees will not be required to work in person until January 2022.

Ford – All employees who travel for international business must be vaccinated, and a mask mandate was reinstated at all facilities on Aug. 3.

Frontier Airlines – All employees must be vaccinated by Oct. 1 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

General Electric – As of December, the vaccine mandate has been suspended in response to a U.S. District Court judge’s decision to issue a preliminary injunction on President Biden’s order demanding all federal contractors be vaccinated by Jan. 18.

Gilead Sciences – All U.S. employees and contractors must be vaccinated by Oct. 1 unless exempt for medical and religious reasons.

Goldman Sachs – All office staff and visitors must be vaccinated and will be subjected to regular COVID-19 testing starting Sept. 7 with no exemptions.

Google – All office workers must be vaccinated.

Hawaiian Airlines – All employees must be vaccinated by Nov. 1, but could apply for medical or religious exemptions and instead undergo regular Covid-19 testing.

Hess – Employees who work in the Gulf of Mexico must be vaccinated by Nov. 1.

IBM – All U.S. employees had to be vaccinated by Dec. 8 — with exemptions for medical or religious reasons — or face unpaid suspensions. 

JetBlue Airways – All U.S. employees had to be vaccinated by Jan. 4 unless exempt for medical or religious reasons.

Johnson and Johnson – All U.S. employees must be vaccinated by Oct. 4 unless exempt for medical or religious reasons.

Lyft – All office workers must be vaccinated.

McDonald’s – All U.S. employees, excluding those at corporate or franchise restaurants, must be vaccinated by Oct. 11.

MGM Resorts – Salaried office employees must be vaccinated by Oct. 15 and new office employees must be vaccinated starting Aug. 30. Las Vegas employees must undergo regular COVID-19 testing.

Microsoft – All office workers and guests must be vaccinated by Oct. 4.

Moderna – All U.S. employees must be vaccinated by October.

Morgan Stanley – All employees must be vaccinated by Oct. 1.

Netflix – Anyone working in or visiting the company’s offices must be vaccinated.

Northwestern Mutual – All office workers must be vaccinated with exemptions for medical or religious reasons.

Norwegian Cruise Line – All crew and passengers must be vaccinated at least two weeks before boarding.

Pfizer – All U.S. employees and contractors must be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

Politico – All employees must be vaccinated.

Saks Fifth Avenue – All office employees must be vaccinated.

Salesforce – All office workers must be vaccinated.

The New York Times – All office workers must be vaccinated.

The Washington Post – All employees must be vaccinated by Sept. 13.

TJX – Only home and regional office associates without medical and religious exemptions must be vaccinated by Nov. 1.

Twitter – All office workers in San Francisco and New York must be vaccinated.

Tyson Foods – All U.S. employees without medical and religious exemptions must be vaccinated by Oct. 1 and other staffers by Nov. 1.

Uber – All office workers must be vaccinated.

United Airlines – All U.S. employees without medical and religious exemptions must be vaccinated by Oct. 25.

UPS – All headquarters and office building employees must be vaccinated by Oct. 1.

Walgreens – All workers in support offices must be vaccinated by Sept. 30 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

Walmart – All staff at its headquarters and managers traveling within the U.S. without medical and religious exemptions must be vaccinated by Oct. 4.

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