Ford Motor Co announced on Tuesday that it will now require all US-based employees to submit their vaccination status against COVID-19. With a deadline of October 8th, this requirement is mandatory for both salaried and hourly employees.
The company has decided to take a stricter approach to health guidelines after its Chicago assembly plant was shot down twice in 24 hours due to two workers testing positive for COVID-19. In addition, the company’s Dearborn truck plant in Michigan was also temporarily closed after an employee there tested positive for coronavirus. Both plants’ shutdowns posed a severe risk to the Ford Motor Co’s profitability, especially since both are involved in the assembly of critical components of Ford vehicles.
Ford’s decision to request its employees’ vaccination status follows the example of other auto manufacturers such as rival General Motors, which has done the same, yet has not implemented a vaccine mandate.
According to Ford chief executive Jim Farley, the company’s entire leadership team have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Currently, Farley and his team are conducting a survey to determine how many people across the entire organization have been innoculated against the virus.
