Apple Is Reportedly Telling Employees To Get Booster Shots
Apple is reportedly telling employees to get booster shots
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Apple is going one step further than other companies that require employees to receive the Covid vaccine by notifying store and corporate employees that they, too, require booster shots for the virus. As an alternative, frequent Covid tests should be performed prior to entering Apple or its partners' facilities.
After becoming eligible for a booster shot, according to The Verge, an Apple employee will have four weeks to take advantage of the opportunity. Because of this, failing to comply will result in employees being subjected to frequent testing in order to enter a retail store, partner store, or an Apple office starting on February 15th.
"Due to the waning efficacy of the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and the emergence of highly transmissible variants such as Omicron," Apple writes in an internal email obtained by the publication. "A booster shot is now required to ensure continued protection against severe disease."
Apple's vaccination policies are less stringent than those of some other companies, including Google and Microsoft. In fact, it is one of the few technology companies that does not require employees to be vaccinated; however, unvaccinated corporate employees are required to take daily tests, and unvaccinated retail employees are required to take tests every two weeks. It had previously required employees who had been vaccinated to submit weekly Covid tests, but this requirement was later relaxed.
While Google has warned unvaccinated employees (those who do not have exemption status) that they risk losing pay and even their jobs, the company has not yet mandated booster shots, whereas Facebook parent Meta has mandated booster shots for those who are returning to work. Unvaccinated Intel employees were also reportedly subjected to unpaid leave, though the company appears to have reversed course, stating in its recently updated Covid policy that it "does not require its workforce to obtain the COVID-19 vaccination."
