Stellantis is suspending full implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for salaried, non-union workers in the U.S.
The decision comes a few weeks after the automaker pushed back a Jan. 5 deadline for workers to be fully vaccinated. But the company said the latest move isn’t related to a Supreme Court decision this month that rejected an Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule that would have required 80 million workers at large companies to get shots or periodic tests.
Stellantis said 97 percent of its salaried, non-represented work force is either vaccinated or has an approved exemption.
The company said it will “continue to monitor the situation and the guidance of public health authorities to make any modifications necessary to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our work force.”
The automaker adopted a vaccine mandate in November as it prepared for a phased reopening in 2022, while getting ahead of a potential federal requirement. At that time, around 80 percent of the company’s work force was fully vaccinated.
Although the mandate won’t go into effect, Stellantis still is encouraging employees to get vaccinated.
“Protecting the health and safety of all Stellantis employees has been guiding the implementation of policies and protocols related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic,” the company said in a statement. “Due to the tremendous support and response we have received to the vaccine requirement — with more than 97 percent of our U.S. salaried non-represented work force in compliance or with an approved exemption — the company has decided to suspend the full implementation of the vaccine mandate. We continue to encourage all employees to get vaccinated and, when eligible, boosted as the most effective way to prevent serious COVID-19 illness.”
