Ford will require most of its salaried employees in the United States to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 8 or risk being put on unpaid leave.
The car manufacturer is complying with a federal mandate for government contractors to ensure their employees are vaccinated under a policy introduced by President Joe Biden.
“The health and safety of our workforce remains our top priority and we have been very encouraged by the support of our employees to comply with our protocols, including the more than 84-percent of U.S. salaried employees who are already vaccinated,” Ford spokesperson Marisa Bradley said in a statement.
Assistant professor in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Michigan State University, Angela Hall, believes Ford’s decision will prompt smaller businesses to follow suit.
Read More: GM, Ford And Stellantis Will Introduce COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates In Canadian Facilities
“When you have a company like Ford that’s so big and influential, they legitimize employers taking such actions,” Hall told The Detroit News. “But because Ford is such a big company, you’re going to have Ford being a big target for people who don’t agree with it.”
A vaccination policy has not yet been announced for Ford’s hourly workers and such a decision will be subject to bargaining with the United Auto Workers union. The UAW has strongly encouraged its members to get vaccinated but opposes a mandate.
“Our position continues to be that we strongly encourage members to get vaccinated but understand that there are reasons such as health-related or religious reasons that they can’t,” UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg said recently.
Ford has a similar COVID-19 vaccine mandate in Canada, as do rivals General Motors and Stellantis. Interestingly, neither GM nor Stellantis have announced vaccination mandates for salaried employees in the United States. On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz USA will require its employees to be vaccinated by January 4, 2022.
