Lose pay and then your job: Google cracks whip on unvaccinated employees

Google is showing no tolerance to unvaccinated employees.

The tech giant has told its staff that they will lose pay and eventually be fired if they do not comply with the company’s COVID vaccination policy.

A CNBC report on Tuesday, that cited internal documents, said employees had until December 3 to declare their vaccination status and upload documentation showing proof, or to apply for a medical or religious exemption.

The company reportedly said that after that date, it would start contacting employees who had not uploaded their status or were unvaccinated, as well as those whose exemption requests were not approved.

According to the document, employees who have not complied with vaccination rules by January 18 will be placed on “paid administrative leave” for 30 days. After that, the company will put them on “unpaid personal leave” for up to six months, followed by termination.

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The Biden administration has ordered US companies with 100 or more workers to ensure that employees are fully vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID by January 18.

While much of the tech industry continues to push back return-to-work plans and companies large and small prepare for a flexible future, Google is requiring its workforce to eventually come into physical offices three days a week at some point in the new year, the report said. And it is showing limited patience for those who refuse to get vaccines, which have been widely available for months, it added.

“We expect that almost all roles at Google in the US will fall within the scope of the executive order,” Google’s memo said, according to the report. “Anyone entering a Google building must be fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation that allows them to work or come onsite,” the company said, adding that “frequent testing is not a valid alternative to vaccination.”