Intel will place all unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave

Intel has announced that it will put all unvaccinated employees in the US on unpaid leave from April next year. The company took this step following other global IT giants, such as Google.

U.S. processor maker Intel has said that unvaccinated U.S. workers who have not received vaccination exemptions for religious or medical reasons will be required to take unpaid leave from April 4, 2022. This leave will last at least three months.

Last month, the company told its US employees that January 4 is the deadline to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a medical exemption. The company's current announcement of sanctions only emphasizes that its plans remain in place, writes Associated Press. In a note to employees, Intel Human Resources Director Christy Pambianki said that employees who have not been vaccinated before this deadline will have to seek a medical exemption or a religious reason that exempts them from vaccination. To continue working in the spring of 2022, unvaccinated employees will need to provide a medical exemption by January 15. In addition, such workers will have to undergo weekly PCR testing for coronavirus, regardless of whether they still work remotely or go to the office.

• Global companies, one after another, require employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus and announce sanctions for those who do not. In mid-December, Google threatened employees with loss of pay and layoffs if they did not adhere to the company's covid vaccination policy. Corporation employees have two options. The first is to declare that they have been vaccinated and upload the relevant documentation. The second is to apply for an exemption from this obligation for medical or religious reasons. Employees who do not meet the requirements by January 18 will first be sent on paid leave for 30 days, and then unpaid for up to six months, followed by dismissal.