Intel tells unvaccinated workers they will go on unpaid leave in April

Intel has announced that unvaccinated employees who fail to meet the company’s Jan. 4 vaccination deadline and do not receive a religious or medical exemption will soon be put on unpaid leave.

Unvaccinated employees’ unpaid leave will begin in April, three months after the deadline, which was announced in November, according to The Associated Press.

The California-based tech company will consider employees’ exemption requests until March 15. Then employees who do not receive an exemption will begin unpaid leave for a minimum of three months starting April 4.

Intel’s Chief People Officer Christy Pambianchi confirmed that the employees on leave “will not be terminated” and will continue to receive their health care benefits while they are on leave, the AP reported. 

The company cited a government mandate for federal contractors as its reason for the requirement. A federal court in Georgia blocked the enforcement of the same mandate earlier in December, though the wire service noted that the government is appealing that decision.

“We are closely monitoring the legal environment and expect it will take time for the case in Georgia, as well as other similar cases, to be fully resolved,” Intel said in a statement, per the AP.

The Hill has reached out to Intel for comment.

Other companies have recently tightened their COVID-19 policies regarding vaccines amid a rise in infections across the country.

Fox Corporation will require all of its New York City employees to receive at least one vaccination shot by Dec. 27. The corporation also said it will do away with the option for unvaccinated employees to be regularly tested in lieu of receiving the shot. 

Google has also announced that employees who do not receive a religious or medical exemption must get vaccinated by Jan. 18, or they could face consequences including pay deductions or the possible loss of their jobs.