Approximately 125,000 Boeing employees in the United States will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by December 8, 2021, as part of a new mandatory policy.
Following an executive order on ensuring adequate COVID-19 virus safety protocols for federal contractors, which was issued by U.S President Joe Biden in September 2021, Boeing will tighten its policy regarding employee vaccination. The American plane manufacturer has ordered its U.S-based staff to “show proof of vaccination” by December 8, 2021, Reuters confirmed on October 12, 2021.
Boeing estimates that the new vaccine mandate will affect around 125,000 employees working across the U.S with exceptions for those who will have “an approved reasonable accommodation based on a disability or sincerely held religious belief”.
Temporary exceptions will be made for Texas-based Boeing staff due to Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s order, which currently prohibits any entity to issue COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including private employers like Boeing. As a result, the current mandate does not apply to more than 5,000 Boeing employees in Texas.
“Due to the Texas EO, the Boeing vaccination requirement does not apply to local sites immediately,” Boeing noted.
The executive order also requires other U.S-based businesses that employ more than 100 employees to implement a mandatory vaccine policy.
However, the order leaves an option for non-vaccinated workers to opt for regular COVID-19 testing instead.