Disney makes vaccination mandatory for on-site U.S. employees

[July 31, 2021]    (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co said on Friday it was making vaccination mandatory for all its on-site salaried and non-union hourly employees in the United States, as the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant drives a resurgence in cases.

Coalition of Resort Labor Unions representing Disney cast members stage a car caravan outside Disneyland California, calling for higher safety standards for Disneyland to reopen during the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Anaheim, California, U.S., June 27, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake

"Employees who aren't already vaccinated and are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any employees still working from home will need to provide verification of vaccination prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions," Disney said.

The company also said all the newly hired employees will be required to be fully vaccinated before beginning their employment.

Disney's announcement comes after major tech companies including Alphabet Inc's Google, Uber Technologies Inc and Facebook Inc said earlier this week that all U.S. employees must get vaccinated to step into offices.

Health authorities on Tuesday said Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should go back to wearing masks in indoor public places in regions where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly.

(Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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