IBM is Mandating that All Employees in the U.S. Be Vaccinated by This Date

IBM has told this U.S. employees this week that they need to take the COVID-19 jab or face unpaid suspension.

The company has mandated that all employees in the United States be vaccinated by December 8th. The company will however allow medical and religious exemptions. An IBM spokesperson had told CNBC that IBM will consider religious and medical exemptions for employees who can’t get the vaccine.

IBM’s decision is following Biden’s vaccine mandate for government contractors.

“As a federal contractor, it is a business imperative for IBM to comply with this mandate,” the company said in a memo sent to employees. “In light of this requirement, the policies of many of our clients and partners, and the easy access to vaccines around the country, we will now require all IBM U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021, in order to work at IBM.”

U.S IBM employees who decline to be vaccinated will not be paid after Dec. 8 until they complete their vaccinations.

Employees removed from payroll for not getting their vaccines will still be eligible for IBM’s 401K matching program, according to Amanda Carl, a company spokesperson. The company matches 401K contributions up to 6% once a year on Dec. 15. U.S. employees who do not get vaccinated by Dec. 15 will still receive their 401K matching.

“As we’ve said throughout the pandemic, IBM’s health and safety practices are driven by science. Given the continued spread of COVID-19, the local clinical conditions around IBM sites, and the reality that vaccines are readily available nationwide, we will now require all IBM U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated by December 8,” Carrie Bendzsa, U.S. Markets and Regional Communications Manager for IBM Americas, told TechWire.

“This applies to IBM U.S. employees regardless of where they work and how often they come into an IBM office. If an employee is not vaccinated by the deadline, they will be put on an unpaid leave of absence as of December 9, 2021.”

CNBC reported that IBM sent a memo to employees that cited federal requirements as a reason for the vaccination mandate.

“As a federal contractor, it is a business imperative for IBM to comply with this mandate,” the company said as reported by CNBC. “In light of this requirement, the policies of many of our clients and partners, and the easy access to vaccines around the country, we will now require all IBM U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021, in order to work at IBM.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.