Walmart has announced it will require some employees to be vaccinated, a response to the more contagious Delta variant.
A number of organizations have announced vaccination requirements for their employees, including Apple, Google, the NFL and others. Walmart now joins that list, requiring some of its employees to be vaccinated by October 4.
Doug McMillon, President and CEO, announced the new policy:
As we all know, the pandemic is not over, and the Delta variant has led to an increase in infection rates across much of the U.S. Given this, we have made the decision to require all market, regional and divisional associates who work in multiple facilities and all campus office associates to be vaccinated by Oct. 4, unless they have an approved exception. This includes all new hires.
It’s a safe bet many more companies will follow Walmart’s example, especially as the Delta variant continues to wreak havoc on attempts to return to normal.