Disney will mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all salaried and non-union hourly U.S. employees moving forward, the company said in a statement Friday.
“At The Walt Disney Company, the safety and well-being of our employees during the pandemic has been and continues to be a top priority,” the statement reads. “Toward that end, and based on the latest recommendations of scientists, health officials and our own medical professionals that the COVID-19 vaccine provides the best protection against severe infection, we are requiring that all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. working at any of our sites be fully vaccinated.”
The company said on-site employees would have 60 days to become fully vaccinated. Company employees working remotely will have to get vaccinated before returning to on-site work, as will new employees before they start.
“We have also begun conversations around this topic with the unions representing our employees under collective bargaining agreements,” the company said. Read the full statement below.
Disney’s vaccine mandate falls in line with policies being implemented across the public and private sectors as the country grapples with the latest surge in cases caused by the highly contagious Delta variant. On Wednesday, Netflix became the first Hollywood studio to implement a vaccine mandate for all U.S. productions as allowed under the industry’s newly revised return-to-work agreement.
Friday also saw the reimplementation of mask policies at Disneyland and Disney World, in compliance with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending that vaccinated individuals wear face coverings indoors where there is risk of transmission.
At The Walt Disney Company, the safety and well-being of our employees during the pandemic has been and continues to be a top priority. Toward that end, and based on the latest recommendations of scientists, health officials and our own medical professionals that the COVID-19 vaccine provides the best protection against severe infection, we are requiring that all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. working at any of our sites be fully vaccinated. Employees who aren’t already vaccinated and are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any employees still working from home will need to provide verification of vaccination prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions. We have also begun conversations around this topic with the unions representing our employees under collective bargaining agreements. In addition, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated before beginning employment. Vaccines are the best tool we all have to help control this global pandemic and protect our employees.
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