Unvaccinated Citigroup employees will be terminated by the end of the month, as the bank becomes the first Wall Street institution to enforce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Reuters obtained a copy of an internal memo sent to employees on Friday reminding them that proof of vaccination is required by January 14. If they fail to comply, workers will be placed on unpaid leave and fired at the end of the month.
When the policy was announced in October, the company said it would take religious and medical exemptions on a case-by-case basis. In addition, it will look at accommodations by state and local law.
Citigroup said last year that its decision was based on its status as a government contractor. The company was forced to comply with President Joe Biden’s executive order regarding vaccines since the government is a “large and important client.”
More than 90 percent of Citigroup’s staff have complied with the mandate. A source told the outlet that that number was further increasing as the deadline approached.
Other banks, such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley have told vaccinated employees to work from home. So far, none of them have implemented a vaccine mandate.
