Ahead of Return to Office... US Companies "Mandate Vaccinations"

Mandatory Vaccination for All San Francisco City Employees
Even Companies Previously Hesitant About Vaccine Mandates Are Changing

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] American companies and local governments have begun to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations.

On the 23rd (local time), San Francisco, California, announced that it would be the first major U.S. city to require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The vaccine mandate applies to 35,000 public officials working in San Francisco. Public officials working for the city must receive COVID-19 vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen.

Among companies that had been hesitant about vaccine mandates, more are now requiring all employees to be vaccinated. The U.S. internet media Axios reported on the 26th that the attitude among companies distancing themselves from vaccine mandates is changing. Until now, American companies have expressed concerns that mandating vaccinations during hiring seasons might deter job seekers from applying due to resistance.

However, recently, companies such as financial firms on New York's Wall Street have begun pressuring employees to get vaccinated ahead of returning to office work. Morgan Stanley was the first to declare last week that those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 would be prohibited from working in the office. BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm, also plans to allow only fully vaccinated employees to return to the office starting next month.

JP Morgan Chase strongly recommended vaccination to all employees in the U.S. on the 23rd and hinted at the possibility of mandating vaccinations. For employees who are not vaccinated, JP Morgan Chase plans to require mask-wearing and conduct daily temperature checks.

Last month, the U.S. federal government announced that it is legal for companies to mandate vaccinations for their employees. However, opinions among Americans regarding workplace vaccine mandates remain divided. According to a poll released earlier this month by Axios-Ipsos, more than half of respondents, 52%, supported workplace vaccine mandates.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.