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 The energy company, which employs some 86,000 workers in more than
70 countries, will weigh the pros and cons of the policy at an
executive committee meeting on Friday, said two sources who declined
to be identified.
Shell declined to comment.
Companies around the world are grappling with their response to
COVID vaccinations as some countries struggle to inoculate their
population or in some cases people refuse to get the jab.
The internal Shell memo, dated September 1, recommends that the
company should overall "stay the course with our current policy of
strong advocacy for vaccination, but no compulsion," adding however
that it should consider introducing a vaccine mandate for specific
operations.
That would include employees on offshore rigs where self-isolation
and evacuation are complex and highly disruptive, the document said.
Those who refuse could face dismissal.
"For staff who refuse to comply with a vaccine mandate we would make
all reasonable efforts to avoid terminating their employment but
will be faced with no alternative but to do so."
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 Shell's trading division has
already requested a vaccine mandate "because
social distancing is impossible to achieve on a
trading floor." The company is
also already actively exploring the introduction of the policy for
offshore workers in the Gulf of Mexico, the document said.
Shell has already adopted a "soft enforcement" vaccination policy in
the Gulf of Mexico and in the onshore Permian shale basin operations
under which employees and contractors must produce a negative
Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination to access Shell sites, the
document said.
The internal Shell document was first reported by the Financial
Times on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Ron Bousso;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
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