Google informed its employees that they will lose pay and will be eventually fired if they don't follow the company's COVID-19 vaccination policy, according to internal documents viewed by CNBC.
Employees had until Dec. 3 to declare their vaccination status and upload documentation showing proof, or to apply for a medical or religious exemption, according to a memo circulated by leadership. Those that did not follow the requirement would begin to get contacted by the company after that date.
According to the document, employees that have not complied with the vaccination policy by Jan. 18 will be placed on "paid administrative leave" for 30 days. Afterwards, they would be placed on “unpaid personal leave” for up to six months, followed by termination.
President Biden's administration has ordered companies with 100 or more employees to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19 by Jan. 18. Although a federal issued a stay on the order in November, pausing the administration's objectives.
“We expect that almost all roles at Google in the US will fall within the scope of the executive order,” Google’s memo said. “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.”
Those placed on "unpaid personal leave" will be able to keep their benefits for the first 92 days, according to the memo. Google has also told employees they can "explore" for roles within the company that don't conflict with the executive order. Those requesting exemptions would be handled in a case-by-case basis.
Employees who's roles can be performed out of the office and outside of the executive order will be able to “permanently work remotely going forward,” the company said.
There have been several hundred Google employees that have signed and circulated a manifesto opposing the company's vaccination policy. However, Google and the parent company Alphabet have supported vaccines since last year.
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