Kaiser Permanente suspends thousands of employees over vaccine mandate

Kaiser Permanente made the announcement Tuesday. They said over 2,200 of its nationwide employees have been placed on unpaid administrative leave as of Oct. 4. They added that employees have until Dec. 1 to either get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs.

Kaiser Permanente also said third-party workers, such as vendors, contractors, and suppliers, will also need to show proof of vaccination in order to enter one of their facilities. Kaiser Permanente statement ,

“When we announced our vaccination requirement on August 2, our overall employee and physician vaccination rate was 78 percent.  Since then, we have made remarkable progress: More than 92 percent of our employees have been vaccinated — and the number continues to grow. As of October 4, just over 2,200 have not responded to our vaccine requirement, and have been put on unpaid administrative leave across the country.  This number is declining daily, and as employees respond they may return to work.  Those not responding have until December 1, 2021 to do so, to be able to return to work. We hope none of our employees will choose to leave their jobs rather than be vaccinated, but we won’t know with certainty until then. We will continue to work with this group of employees to allay concerns and educate them about the vaccines, their benefits, and risks. “

Kaiser Permanente