Intel to Put Unvaccinated Employees on 'Unpaid Leave' | Deadline for COVID-19 Shot on January 4, 2022

Urian B., Tech Times 22 December 2021, 11:12 am

While different companies have different takes on mandating the COVID-19 vaccine, Intel is a company that is rolling out consequences for employees that won't get the shot. With that, unvaccinated employees will be put on "unpaid leave" should they not get the vaccine by January 4, 2022.

COVID-19 Vaccine Deadline

According to the story by XDA-Developers, Intel has now started to warn its employees that they need to get their COVID-19 vaccine before January 4, 2022, to continue working at the company.

As per a report by The Oregonian, Intel workers that make a choice not to get the vaccine without having an exemption will be put on unpaid leave to start in April.

Executive Order 14042 Vaccine Requirement Deadline

This measure comes due to the federal vaccine mandates for federal contractors. To add, this specifically refers to Executive Order 14042, saying that all contractors of the US government have to be vaccinated by January 18.

The only exemptions that exist include either medical or religious exemptions. Executive Order 14042 is actually being blocked by an injunction by the State of Georgia.

Government's Take on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

The government has also been working on appealing the decision, which means it is not yet known as to whether the mandate really will go through or not. To add, Intel also said that they are monitoring the legal situation when it comes to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and it might take time for the case to be fully resolved.

Intel, however, has decided to stick to its deadline on January 4 of next year for its employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. With that, the company said that it will still evaluate its options within Q1 of 2022.

Unvaccinated Employees on Unpaid Leave Still Get Healthcare Benefits

Employees who can secure either the medical or religious exemption will still have to get a COVID-19 test on a weekly basis, as per Christy Pambianchi, the CPO of Intel. The rule applies to employees who are either working directly in the company's offices or for those still working remotely.

COVID-19 vaccine exemption requests are expected to be reviewed by the company until March 15. Those that won't be granted an exemption will then be put on unpaid leave for at least three months. The publication has not provided a maximum for how long unvaccinated employees will be on unpaid leave.

However, those on unpaid leave won't be terminated, and the company will also still provide healthcare benefits to those employees who are on leave for being unvaccinated. It is also very likely that many other companies in the tech world will be getting similar rules despite preemptive measures while federal vaccine mandates remain in legal limbo.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian B.