The Walt Disney Company has announced a new company policy that is sure to be major. The company has joined numerous entities and companies in requiring their employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 before returning to work. Disney representatives announced this new policy in a statement issued on Friday. The company also says that talks between them and employee unions are underway.
Any unvaccinated employees that plan to work on-site will have 60 days to get vaccinated. Not only that, but employees working from home will have to submit proof of vaccination before returning to their offices. The mandate also applies to new hires, who need to be vaccinated before beginning their position.
The new mandate is effective immediately across all U.S. offices. You can read the full statement from The Walt Disney Company below:
“At The Walt Disney Company, the safety and well-being of our employees during the pandemic has been and continues to be a top priority. Toward that end, and based on the latest recommendations of scientists, health officials, and our own medical professionals that the COVID-19 vaccine provides the best protection against severe infection, we are requiring that all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. working at any of our sites be fully vaccinated. Employees who aren't already vaccinated and are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any employees still working from home will need to provide verification of vaccination prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions. We have also begun conversations around this topic with the unions representing our employees under collective bargaining agreements. In addition, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated before beginning employment. Vaccines are the best tool we all have to help control this global pandemic and protect our employees.”
Disney is not alone in requiring its employees to get their vaccines. Earlier this week, Netflix became the first studio to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations among their productions’ casts and crews. Other companies implementing such policies include Google, Uber, and Facebook. As the pandemic continues, Disney and these other companies taking firm stances are welcome amidst the waves of vaccine misinformation still being distributed.