Google Will Start Firing Unvaccinated Employees in 2022

A recent report from CNBC says that Google circulated a memo telling its employees that they’ll need to get vaccinated against COVID-19, or else they’ll lose pay and eventually lose their jobs. 

In the memo, Google said that its employees have to comply with the new vaccination rules imposed under the Biden administration. It’s been ordered that any U.S. company with 100 or more workers need to ensure that all their employees are fully vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19 by January 18. 

We expect that almost all roles at Google in the US will fall within the scope of the executive order. Anyone entering a Google building must be fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation that allows them to work or come onsite. Frequent testing is not a valid alternative to vaccination.

Google memo to its employees

Google decided to take it one step further and is going to demand vaccinations for all of its over 150,000 employees in the U.S. If Google’s employees don’t comply with the vaccination policy by January 18, Google said in the memo that they’ll be placed on a paid administrative leave for 30 days. Afterward, if they still don’t comply, Google will put the employees on unpaid personal leave for up to six months. This will be followed by termination. 

According to CNBC, a Google spokesperson said in a statement that “our vaccination requirements are one of the most important ways we can keep our workforce safe and keep our services running.” They also said that Google stands behind its vaccination policy. 

Google also said that it’d grant exemptions on a case-by-case basis. If employees can’t or won’t get vaccinated for religious reasons or medical conditions, they may be exempt from Google’s new orders. Google also encouraged employees to look for other positions within the company that fall under an executive order or that could be eligible for permanent remote work.

This is likely part of Google’s plans to open its office again fully. Google initially required its employees to eventually come work in the office for at least three days a week in 2022. 

Despite this, Google told its U.S. employees that it would not require them to go back to the office for the time being because of the increase in COVID-19 cases. With that said, the company is encouraging employees to keep going to the office since they have the conditions to “reconnect with colleagues in person and start regaining the muscle memory of being in the office more regularly.”

According to the memo, any employees who are placed on unpaid leave will still keep their benefits for the first 92 days. After the unpaid leave, if they haven’t complied with Google’s memo, the company will terminate their employment.