(Reuters) – T-Mobile US Inc will fire corporate employees who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by April 2, according to an internal company memo posted on the independent blog TMOnews.com.
The blog said T-Mobile’s new policy was announced on Friday in an email from its human resource chief to all staff. It follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Jan. 13 that blocked President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing mandate for large businesses.
“Employees who have not yet taken action to receive their first dose and upload proof by February 21 will be placed on unpaid leave,” the blog quoted the memo as saying. “Affected employees who do not become fully vaccinated … by April 2 will be separated from T-Mobile.”
The memo, addressed to “all employees (excluding international),” stated that the vaccine rules do not apply to field technicians and most in-store retail roles.
In a statement on Saturday, T-Mobile said “we are requiring office workers (with limited exception for certain roles, locations and legally mandated accommodations and exemptions) to be fully vaccinated by April 2.” It added that “badge-controlled offices continue to be accessible only to those who are vaccinated against COVID-19.”
(Reporting by Vanessa O’Connell; editing by Grant McCool)
