The GM logo is seen on the facade of General Motors’ headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, on March 16, 2021.
Rebecca Cook | Reuters
DETROIT – General Motors has demanded that all U.S. salaried employees report their vaccination status against Covid-19, as it and other companies across the country weigh whether or not to issue vaccines.
GM confirmed Thursday that confidentiality asked its nearly 48,000 U.S. workers to release the information as a way to assess overall immunity levels and guide their security protocols.
“The level of immunity is an important factor in determining when GM may need to increase or be able to relax or terminate certain COVID-19 safety protocols,” the company said in an emailed statement.
The poll, which was first published by the Wall Street Journal, came out earlier this month. Employees were due to respond this past Monday. Those who said they were completely vaccinated had to present evidence of their condition.
GM and other automakers have not required vaccination of workers, but have implemented safety protocols and procedures at facilities around the world.
The poll comes after GM CEO Mary Barra said on Aug. 4 that the company was evaluating whether it should force employees to be completely vaccinated against Covid.
“Right now we’re evaluating it and we’re in deep conversations with our stakeholders to see what needs to be done from a General Motors perspective,” he said in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box”. “So I’d say more to follow.”
In April, GM announced a flexible remote work policy called “working properly,” which allowed some employees to work fully or partially remotely, depending on their job responsibilities.
GM’s rival, Ford Motor, has not conducted a survey of all of its salaried employees, but is asking anyone entering a Ford center or event to report their vaccination status.