T-Mobile Will Reportedly Terminate Office Workers Who Are Not Fully Vaccinated Against Covid By April 2

Topline

T-Mobile US will fire corporate employees who aren’t fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by April 2, Bloomberg reported Saturday, in what would be one of the strictest Covid policies instituted by a large company in the country as others have moved to scrap vaccine requirements after the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for large employers.

Key Facts

Deeanne King, the company’s chief human resources officer, said in a memo to U.S. employees that was obtained by Bloomberg that employees who need “regular or occasional” access to T-Mobile’s offices should get the first dose of a Covid vaccine by February 21 or else they will be put on unpaid leave.

In-office employees who are not fully vaccinated by April 2 and do not get the company’s internal digital proof of vaccination “will be separated” from the company, the memo reportedly said, adding employees can apply for vaccine exemptions for medical and religious reasons.

T-Mobile plans to bring its staff back in-person or start hybrid work models on April 2, Bloomberg reported.

Support employees are reportedly required to get the first dose by February 21, but they will not be subject to unpaid leave even if they don’t comply.

The vaccine requirement reportedly does not apply to field technicians and “most” in-store retail workers. 

T-Mobile confirmed to Forbes in a statement that it has set a vaccination deadline of April 2 for office workers, but it did not confirm whether those who did not comply would be terminated, saying the vaccine requirement will “put us in the best position” to protect T-Mobile workers. 

Key Background

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court temporarily halted the Biden Administration’s workplace Covid-19 vaccination requirements for large employers. General Electric and Starbucks are among large companies that have dropped vaccine mandates following the Supreme Court decision. On the other hand, Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup told Forbes earlier this month they will stick with their vaccine requirements even after the Supreme Court ruling. Citigroup said it will fire employees who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at the end of this month. Other large employers, including United Airlines and Tyson Foods, have also implemented vaccine mandates. 

Big Number

56%. That’s the percentage of Americans who said employers should have vaccine mandates, according to a Morning Consult poll conducted after the Supreme Court ruling. Nearly 35% said they were against such requirements.

Further Reading

T-Mobile to Fire Corporate Staff Who Don’t Get Vaccine by April (Bloomberg)

Starbucks Scraps Vaccine Mandate — Here’s How Large Companies Are Responding To Supreme Court Ruling (Forbes)

Citigroup To Fire Unvaccinated Office Employees At The End Of January (Forbes)