Goldman Sachs has told US staff that they must disclose their Covid-19 vaccination status to the company.
Covid-19 vaccinations
Can employers ask employees if they have had a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination?
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Policy on employees being vaccinated
According to an internal memo sent to staff this week, employees had to inform the organisation whether or not they have had a Covid-19 vaccination by noon on Thursday, ahead of its plan to bring staff back to offices.
The memo said: “Registering your vaccination status allows us to plan for a safer return to the office for all of our people as we continue to abide by local public health measures.
“As a result, it is mandatory that you submit your vaccination status on the Canopy app [the bank’s in-house app], whether or not you are vaccinated.”
It added that it strongly encouraged staff to get a Covid-19 jab, but understood that the choice to get vaccinated is a personal one.
Last month, Goldman Sachs told US staff that they must be ready to return to the office by 14 June and that they could work in an office without a face covering if they had been vaccinated.
In the US, it is legal for organisations to ask workers about their vaccination status, but they must keep that information confidential.
Employers in the UK can ask staff whether they have been vaccinated, but they must be clear about their reasons for doing so. They must also provide staff with information about how and why their vaccination data is being processed.
Organisations in the UK could risk legal claims if they make it mandatory for staff to have Covid-19 jabs, although the government is considering whether staff in care homes with older residents should be required to have a vaccine.
According to the New York Times, which first reported on Goldman’s memo, staff are being asked to post the date and brand of the Covid-19 jabs they have had on the app, but do not have to provide evidence of inoculation.
The UK government has previously indicated that it could lift its advice around working from home on 21 June, but rising Covid-19 infection rates could threaten its plans. It has been widely suggested that the lifting of restrictions could be delayed by up to a month.
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon has pushed for a return to the office as soon as possible, and earlier this year described remote working as an “aberration” that did not align with its culture.
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