Google employees are no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19

Google no longer requires its employees in the US to get vaccinated against COVID. Previously, Google had made it mandatory for employees to submit their vaccination certificates. The company had threatened unvaccinated employees with dire consequences. Google seem to have gone easy on employees that are not vaccinated, as per CNBC report. However, in order to work from the office, a Google employee has to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

“We’re not enforcing vaccination requirements as a condition of employment for US office workers at this time. We’re continuing to implement our vaccination policy requiring COVID-19 vaccinations or approved accommodations for any individuals accessing our sites, because it’s one of the most important ways we can keep our workforce safe and keep our services running,” Google spokesperson Lora Lee Erickson said in a statement to The Verge. She added that employees working at Google’s Santa Clara County facilities will have to wear masks in the office.

CNBC has also shared details from a notice sent to staff by David Radcliffe, Google’s VP of real estate and workplace services. The note says that “unvaccinated employees who are approved to enter offices will still need to follow additional protocols, including testing and wearing a mask”. His note further mentioned that amenities like fitness centers, shuttle services, pantries, and “all informal spaces” will be reopening soon.

Back in December, Google had sent a memo to its employees stating that employees who were found flouting vaccination rules would eventually be fired from the company. The search giant had given a deadline of January 18 to its employees to comply with the vaccination rules. Google has noted that the employees that fail to comply by the said date will be placed on "paid administrative leave" for 30 days, followed by "unpaid personal leave" for up to six months and termination. The new rules were announced for US employees only. Google is yet to share its return-to-office plans for its Indian employees.

Google is not the only company to relax its Covid-19 policies. Apple, which had made it compulsory for customers shopping at retail stores to wear masks, has now dropped the mask requirements. The new guidelines have only been rolled out in countries and states where Covid-19 cases are almost non-existent. Buyers in India should still wear masks whenever they step out of their house or visit stores.