Wells Fargo changed its vaccine policy for all employees. Here’s what’s new.
Wells Fargo will now require employees to get vaccinated or consent to regular COVID-19 testing ahead of the bank’s return to in-person work next year, according to an internal memo.
All workers, whether they have previously disclosed their vaccination status or not, will be required to report whether they have been fully vaccinated by Dec. 4, according to a memo from head of human resources Bei Ling that was distributed last week.
Vaccinated employees will have to upload a photo of their CDC vaccination card. Employees that haven’t got their shot will need to acknowledge that they’ll be part of a regular testing program beginning next year. The bank is offering paid time off for workers to get the vaccine.
Wells Fargo is planning to bring all of its employees back to the office beginning Jan. 10, a date it’s pushed back three times. The bank had originally targeted an early September return before the rise of the Delta variant changed its plans.
Wells Fargo is based in San Francisco but has its largest employment hub in Charlotte, with more than 27,000 workers here. It has a total of about 265,000 workers.
The bank told employees over the summer that, as part of its return to in-person work, workers in enterprise roles — including departments like finance, corporate risk and human resources — will spend a minimum of three days a week in the office.
Other vaccine policy changes around Charlotte
More Charlotte employers have altered their vaccination policies this fall, in the wake of a Biden administration announcement that companies with more than 100 workers must require them to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing for the virus. That mandate is being challenged in court.
Earlier this month, Fort Mill, S.C.-based Red Ventures said it would require all employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by March 1.
Charlotte city government told its employees last month that new hires will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
And Honeywell has required vaccines for all U.S. employees, including at its headquarters in Charlotte. The company recently welcomed all workers back to its office here.
Other large employers have stopped short of mandating workers get the shot.
Charlotte-based Bank of America previously told the Observer that it was encouraging the vaccine but not requiring it. The bank is reviewing federal guidelines, it said, and hasn’t made any changes to its policy yet.
