Google tells employees to get vaccinated or lose pay and be fired

Google will not be paying employees, and later they will be laid off if they will not be vaccinated. The tech company said all workers who will not conform to its COVID-19 vaccination policy are at risk of losing their jobs.

In an internal memo that was seen by CNBC, all Google employees have until Dec. 3 to declare their vaccination status. They were also instructed to upload proof they received the jab or apply for a medical or religious exemption.

Google stated in the memo that after the mentioned date, employees who have not uploaded their proof and remained unvaccinated would be contacted. All those who applied for the exemption and were declined will be contacted as well.

The deadline to comply with the company’s vaccination rules has been set for Jan. 18, 2022, and by then, if they still fail to get inoculated, they will immediately be put on paid administrative leave for 30 days. The company will subsequently place them on unpaid personal leave for up to six months and final job termination will follow.

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

In any case, US President Joe Biden previously ordered all companies in the country with 100 or more staff, to make sure their workforce is fully vaccinated by Jan. 18 of next year. The president also mentioned that regular testing for COVID-19 must also be required for the unvaccinated until the due date.

But then again, the federal court handed down a stay order in November and this decision placed the Biden administration’s efforts on hold. Despite this, Google still requested its employees to declare their vaccination status on the company’s internal system regardless of whether they are planning to return to the office or not.

Meanwhile, for those who do not want to get the jab, Google said workers could explore if there are job posts in the company that does not conflict with Biden’s EO. For roles that are beyond the scope of the EO and can also be done outside of the office, they can permanently work remotely.

Lastly, for those who will be placed on unpaid personal leave, they can keep their benefits but for the first 92 days only. After six months and they still have not complied with the vaccination mandate, Google will terminate their employment.