Apple Expands Efforts to Vaccinate Employees, But Doesn't Mandate Vaccines

Apple is further pushing its employees in the United States to get vaccinated now that the Food and Drug Administration has officially approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, reports Bloomberg.

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Apple has launched a new internal web page, sent out an employee memo, and is holding internal talks as part of its vaccination campaign.

"Apple is asking everyone who has access to the vaccine and is able to get vaccinated to do so as soon as you can," the company said in the memo, which was sent to staff Thursday evening. Sumbul Desai, Apple's vice president of health efforts, and Kristina Raspe, vice president in charge of real estate, are also hosting talks to encourage employees to get the shots.

The webpage Apple has created explains the delta variant and how getting vaccinated can help prevent its spread. Apple is also offering vouchers for employees to get vaccinated through Walgreens, and it is providing on-site vaccinations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin, Texas. Apple gives employees paid time off for vaccine appointments and paid sick leave for those who experience side effects.

Apple is not mandating that its employees get vaccinated, which is a departure from other tech companies in the area. Both Google and Facebook are requiring employees to be vaccinated, but according to Bloomberg, Apple has not done so for the sake of employee privacy.

Earlier this month, Apple implemented more frequent testing for corporate and retail employees, asking them to take COVID-19 tests up to three times per week.

Apple initially planned to have employees return to work for three days a week in September, but with cases continuing to ramp up, corporate employees will be able to work from home until at least January 2022.

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Top Rated Comments

meaning-matters Avatar
55 months ago

should mandate it. weed out the people who are antivax.
Pure discrimination.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SSDGUY Avatar
55 months ago

Eventually, Apple will be forcing the employees for the vaccines to get mandated. Why waste time not mandating it now when Food and Drug Administration officially approved it.

Why is this all wishy-washy?
Perhaps because human beings should possess the right to not be forced to have foreign substances injected into their bodies for fear of losing their jobs. Educate > Debate > Freedom of choice
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Act3 Avatar
55 months ago

Most who gained natural corona immunity don't need a vaccine.

The vast majority that get ill from corona are sick, old, or obese.
the old, sick or obese are the vaccinated. the age group being hospitalized this go around are younger and very high percentage are unvaccinated ... I get daily reports from my local hospital as my wife works there, nearly 90% of covid patients are unvaccinated. And they are at the point of having most covid patients that they have ever had since the pandemic began.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HeavenDynamic Avatar
55 months ago
They will eventually mandate vaccines, just like everywhere in the world.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Act3 Avatar
55 months ago

They will eventually mandate vaccines, just like everywhere in the world.
everywhere? my employer, an energy company, has over 30K employees, no vaccine mandates at all for any vaccine. flu, covid, hep, etc...
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
55 months ago
Surprising. We're already mandating vaccines for anyone going back to the office. Also, those not vaccinated by 1/1/2022 will have to start paying most of the premium on their corporate Aetna plan... which is presently fully covered for the employee and their family.

We've lost 10+ people to Covid, most of them previously healthy adults under 50, a few of them athletes. Enough was enough.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)