- IBM told U.S. employees this week that they must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Dec. 8 or face an unpaid suspension.
- The company will allow medical and religious exemptions.
IBM told U.S. employees this week that they must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Dec. 8 or face an unpaid suspension.
The company told workers that it must comply with President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for government contractors.
"As a federal contractor, it is a business imperative for IBM to comply with this mandate," the company said in a memo sent to employees this week. "In light of this requirement, the policies of many of our clients and partners, and the easy access to vaccines around the country, we will now require all IBM U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021, in order to work at IBM."
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Unlike some companies, such as United Airlines, IBM's vaccination policy stops short of firing unvaccinated employees. But those who decline to be vaccinated will not be paid after Dec. 8 until they complete their vaccinations.
Employees removed from payroll for not getting their vaccines will still be eligible for IBM's 401K matching program, according to Amanda Carl, a company spokesperson. IBM matches 401K contributions up to 6% once a year on Dec. 15.
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Another IBM spokesperson told CNBC in a statement that the company will consider religious and medical exemptions for employees who can't get the vaccine.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that U.S. employees who do not get vaccinated by Dec. 15 will still receive their 401K matching.
