Facebook delays office reopening, mandates booster shots for employees returning to office

By Team Newsable | First Published Jan 11, 2022, 3:56 PM IST

According to the corporation, all employees returning to work will be required to show documentation of booster shots while the business closely monitors the Omicron variant issue.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has postponed the reopening of its US office and enforced COVID-19 booster doses for staff returning to work, joining a growing list of firms revising reopening plans as Omicron surges. The tech giant said that the reopening date for workers who choose to work from the office had been pushed back from January 31 to March 28.

According to the corporation, all employees returning to work will be required to show documentation of booster shots while the business closely monitors the Omicron variant issue. All of Meta's US workers who come to the office are presently required to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

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Employees have until March 14 to decide whether to return to the office, work remotely full-time, or work from home temporarily. According to a spokeswoman, employees who cannot get vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons can request such remote work. "Employees who do not take action may face disciplinary action, including termination. This would be a last resort," stated the spokeswoman via email. As the Omicron variety drives up illnesses to record levels across the country, corporations have increased vaccine obligations and postponed back-to-work plans.

Also Read | 'No jab, no job': Citigroup to fire unvaccinated employees under new policy

Citigroup said last week that any workers in the United States who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 14 would be placed on unpaid leave and then fired at the end of the month. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp offered an option to postpone returning to work in December.

Also Read | Google employees may lose pay, get fired for not complying with vaccination rules: Report

Earlier, Google has warned its employees that they may lose their jobs if they do not comply with the company's Covid-19 immunisation policy. Employees had until December 3 to reveal their vaccination status, present proof of immunisation, or request a medical or religious exemption, according to a statement delivered by leadership.

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