Meta delays workplace reopening, mandates Covid-19 booster shot for office workers

• The reopening date for employees who choose to work from the office has been pushed back to March 28

• Employees are required to provide proof of a booster dose in order to use office premises

Facebook parent Meta Platforms has postponed the reopening of its US office and enforced COVID-19 booster doses for staff returning to work amid the concern over the rise in Omicron variant cases. 

The digital behemoth, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced on Monday that the reopening date for employees who choose to work from the office has been pushed back from January 31 to March 28.

From March 28, workers who satisfy the eligibility requirements for the vaccinations will be required to provide proof of a booster immunization to utilize its premises, the tech giant said. 

Read more: Moderna CEO Bancel warns people may need fourth booster in fall of '22

“We’re focused on making sure our employees continue to have choices about where they work given the current Covid-19 landscape,” Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, said in a statement. 

“We understand that the continued uncertainty makes this a difficult time to make decisions about where to work, so we’re giving more time to choose what works best for them.”

Meta also wants all of its workers in the United States to be vaccinated against Covid. According to Reuters, Facebook employees have until March 14 to decide whether they want to work from home or not. 

Read more: FDA authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 booster dose for children ages 12 to 15

Employees who are unable to get vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons may seek to work from home temporarily or permanently. "Employees who take no action can face disciplinary measures, including termination. Obviously, this would be a last resort,” the Facebook spokesperson said in an email.

‘No jab, No Job’ Policy 

Citigroup Inc will be the first big Wall Street firm to implement a rigorous "no-jab, no job" policy as of January 14, according to a message issued to employees, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

Employees who do not follow the rules will be placed on unpaid leave, and their final day of work will be at the end of the month, the report said. 

Read more: FDA authorizes Merck's COVID-19 oral pill, second at-home treatment to brace omicron

Apart from Citigroup other big U.S. corporations, like Google and United Airlines, have implemented a "no-jab, no-job" policy.

Picture Credits: NPR