Alvarez & Marsal and Deloitte mandate vaccines for US staff
Alvarez & Marsal and Deloitte are among the first consulting firms to announce vaccination requirements for their US-based employees.
Alvarez & Marsal on August 16 told its US employees that vaccinated individuals would be required to return to its offices on September 7 with proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated employees would continue to work remotely, but would have to contact management to inform them of “future vaccination plans,” according to a statement on the firm’s website.
Unvaccinated A&M employees will be placed on unpaid leave of absence as of October 31 for up to six months – with exceptions granted for pregnant women and exceptions considered for medical reasons or “deeply held religious beliefs.”
The New York-based consulting firm – which has more than 5,000 people globally – said 92% of its US employees were already vaccinated or would be by September 1, 2021. Eight percent of surveyed employees said they would not be vaccinated or chose not to respond.
Deloitte US, meanwhile, last week said it will require proof of vaccination for employees to enter its offices beginning October 11. The requirement goes into effect seven weeks after the US FDA gave full approval to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.
“The ability to participate in the broader business ecosystem will be increasingly challenging for those who are not vaccinated,” said Deloitte CEO Joe Ucuzoglu in an email viewed by Bloomberg News.
Deloitte has approximately 100,000 workers in the United States.
Several other large US companies have issued vaccine mandates in the wake of the FDA’s Pfizer jab approval. Pharmacy chain CVS said it would require corporate staff to be fully vaccinated by October 31 and pharmacists working in retail stores by November 30. Walt Disney will require unionized employees working at Walt Disney World in Florida to be fully vaccinated by October 22.
President Biden has been encouraging employers to instate mandates as the country’s vaccination program has stalled out at 52% of the population and the Delta variant continues to drive surging case numbers.
“If you’re a business leader, a nonprofit leader, a state or local leader who has been waiting for full FDA approval to require vaccinations, I call on you now to do that – require it. Do what I did last month and require your employees to get vaccinated or face strict requirements,” Biden said on Monday.
Biden on July 29 announced vaccine mandates for the country’s 4 million federal employees. Unvaccinated employees would be required to comply with mandatory masking, weekly testing, distancing, and other measures.
