DEARBORN, MI -- Ford announced Wednesday it will require nearly 32,000 salaried employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine or they will face possible unpaid leave. According to CNBC, the automaker will consider religious and medical exemptions that would prevent employees from getting the vaccine, but anyone else will be required to prove they’ve been vaccinated by Dec. 8.
Should an employee refuse to comply with the mandate, a Ford spokesperson said the employee will be placed on leave with job protection for up to 30 days. It’s unclear what will happen to the employee after the 30 days is up if they are still not vaccinated.
The mandate does not impact the nearly 54,000 company workers who are part of the United Auto Workers (UAW) as the automaker is assessing the collective bargaining agreements with the union. Ford employees who work at the company’s parts depot and in the financial arm of the company are also exempt from the mandate for the time being.
The UAW has encouraged members to get vaccinated, but has not advocated for mandatory vaccines for members, electing to leave the decision up to each member individually. Ford is the first of the three major U.S. automakers to implement a vaccine mandate as General Motors and Stellantis have yet to make vaccines mandatory for any employees.
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