Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced on July 28 that the company will require employees to be vaccinated before returning to work in the field.
This was stated in a letter sent to Google and Alphabet staff, who announced a telecommuting policy in October as the delta variant of the new coronavirus continues to prevail worldwide. It also mentions extending it to the 18th.
Facebook VP Lori Goler also acknowledged in a message sent to TechCrunch that the social media giant has adopted a similar policy.
“As the office reopens, we will ask everyone to vaccinate all campuses in the United States,” Golar wrote. “How we implement this policy depends on local conditions and regulations. For people who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other reasons, we have a process in place and as the situation progresses. We will continue to evaluate our approach in other regions. We will continue to work with our experts to develop an office reinstatement plan that prioritizes the health and safety of everyone.”
With a similar wording to this statement, Pichai’s long letter also separates the exception “for medical or other protected reasons”. Initially, Facebook planned to return to work by half in September and by October, but Golar’s comments didn’t indicate a change in the timing of the return.
A spokeswoman for the company told The Wall Street Journal last week that “according to expert guidelines, vaccines are very effective in preventing variants of the new coronavirus, including delta mutations. There is no change in the schedule until the office reopens”.
Both companies’ statements give some breadth to the company’s policies, based on regional and state regulations, medical or personal concerns, and perhaps access to vaccines that vary widely from region to region.
“We strongly recommend that Amazon employees and contractors be vaccinated as soon as the new coronavirus vaccine is available,” Amazon responded to TechCrunch’s inquiries.
The company’s current guidelines do not seem to require vaccination to return to the office, but unvaccinated employees are required to wear masks. Covering the face is optional for those who have been proven to have completed vaccination.