Ford to comply with federal mandate for COVID-19 vaccines -- for salaried workers
Ford Motor Co. became the first of the Detroit Three automakers to comply with a federal order on COVID-19 vaccines, announcing that it will require salaried workers get the shots by early December.
The company notified employees Tuesday that most of the 32,000 white-collar employees in the U.S. will be affected.
Monique Brentley, company spokesperson, provided this statement Wednesday:
"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% of U.S. salaried employees who are already vaccinated. As we continue to put measures in place to protect our team, Ford will now require most U.S. salaried employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8, which also aligns to federal contractor guidelines."
The company uses the term "most" employees because it is still evaluating the policy for employees at manufacturing sites, parts depots and Ford Credit, including analyzing federal and collective bargaining requirements.
In a letter obtained by the Free Press on Wednesday, Kiersten Robinson, Ford chief people and employees experiences officer, wrote,"The science and data tell us the vaccines offer critical protection against COVID-19 and its variants and our goal continues to be for all team members who can, to be vaccinated.... We must do everything we can to protect each other."
President Joe Biden's administration in September issued the requirement for federal workers and federal contractors to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. A similar mandate for private employers of more than 100 people is expected soon from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, though challenges are expected.
Vaccine plus 14 days
An employee is fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving both doses of a two-dose vaccine or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.
"This approach builds on our already established vaccine requirements put in place earlier this year requiring employees traveling internationally or those on international assignment, as well as corporate officers, to be fully vaccinated," Robinson wrote.
"This policy will ensure employees covered under the recently announced federal contractor guidelines meet the Executive Order requirements to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 since Ford is a federal contractor," she said.
Religious and health exemptions are included. The letter says Ford will take a "thoughtful and considerate" approach when assessing the small percentage of salaried employees who are not vaccinated. They will get more information this week.
Ford said it expects to make announcements in coming weeks related to manufacturing plants, parts depots and Ford Credit, along with UAW-represented employees.
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UAW members are strongly encouraged by the company and the union to get vaccinated but they're not mandated.
Stellantis, GM policy in US
Stellantis told the Free Press no changes have been made to company policy in the U.S.
Stellantis said in a statement provided by spokesperson Jodi Tinson:
"Since vaccines have become available, Stellantis has continued to strongly advocate for our employees to get vaccinated. As part of our protocol, all U.S. employees have been asked to self-certify their vaccination status since spring. We are continuing to monitor the situation and, in partnership with the UAW, evaluating additional actions to take in the best interest of employee health and safety."
GM told the Free Press no changes have been made to company policy in the U.S.
In a statement provided by Maria Raynal, the company said:
“We support vaccination,” Raynal said in an emailed statement. “Our overriding priority is keeping our employees and their families safe. We continue to strongly encourage our employees to get vaccinated given the broad availability of safe and highly efficacious vaccines, which data consistently show is the best way to protect yourself and those around you. We will continue to review our options and will share with our employees first any changes to our current protocols.”
Stricter in Canada
Meanwhile, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis announced in mid-October they would require vaccination for hourly and salaried workers in Canada.
GM set a Dec. 12 deadline and Stellantis Dec. 17, while Ford did not initially release a deadline.
In October, Ford of Canada employees were required to confirm their vaccination status and provide the record if fully vaccinated. Effective Jan. 3, all Ford employees must be fully vaccinated before entering any Ford facility in Canada, unless the employee has a Ford-approved accommodation, such as a medical requirement.
Unvaccinated Ford employees who do not have a Ford of Canada exemption will be provided with "educational resources including information about how COVID-19 vaccines work, vaccine safety related to the development of the COVID-19 vaccines, benefits of vaccination against COVID-19, risks of not being vaccinated against COVID-19, and possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccination," said Lauren More, vice president of communications, Ford of Canada.
Factory workers in Canada are represented by Unifor. Its national president, Jerry Dias, said 85% to 90% of the union membership had been vaccinated. He told the Free Press previously that workers have "disdain" for having to work alongside someone who is not vaccinated.
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Staff writers Eric D. Lawrence and Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report. Contact Phoebe Wall Howard at 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford to require COVID-19 vaccine for salaried workers by Dec. 8
