CNN employees fired for going to work unvaccinated

Three workers have lost their jobs as the CNN president warned of a “zero-tolerance policy” over people working in the office who haven’t been jabbed.

Three CNN employees were fired for going to a company office without being vaccinated, the media firm’s CEO said in a memo that was leaked on Thursday.

In an email to staff about returning to the office, CNN president Jeff Zucker warned that the company has a “zero-tolerance policy” about allowing people back who haven’t been vaccinated against Covid-19, according to Deadline.

“Thus far, we have left proof of vaccination to an honour system. While we have asked for attestation to your status via Passcard, it has not been mandatory to produce a vaccine card,” Mr Zucker wrote.

“In the past week, we have been made aware of three employees who were coming to the office unvaccinated. All three have been terminated. Let me be clear – we have a zero-tolerance policy on this.”

The email continued: “You need to be vaccinated to work in the field, with other employees, regardless of whether you enter an office or not. Period. We expect that in the weeks ahead, showing proof of vaccination may become a formal part of the WarnerMedia Passcard process. Regardless, our expectations remain in place.”

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CNN president Jeff Zucker said employees must be vaccinated to come into the office or to work in the field. Picture: Robert Marquardt/Getty Images

The news station will also postpone its planned office return date from September 7 to mid-October but bosses are “reluctant to put a specific date on it,” Mr Zucker wrote in the memo.

Employees are currently allowed to work in the office on a voluntary basis – with masks required in Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Atlanta workspaces, the memo said.

“It goes without saying that even in places that we don’t mandate it, anyone who wants to wear a mask should absolutely do so. These decisions can be very personal for people – no two situations are the same,” he wrote. “Continue to take care of yourselves and each other.”

Vaccine hesitancy has lead to some Delta variant breakthrough infections in the US in recent weeks, according to health officials.

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The news station will also postpone its planned office return date from September 7 to mid-October. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP

It comes as Netflix joins a growing number of major US companies in requiring workers to get vaccinated for Covid-19 as they return to the office.

The streaming giant is mandating that staffers and anyone visiting its offices be vaccinated, Variety reported. Currently, the company’s offices are open to vaccinated employees but workers are still allowed to work from home for the foreseeable future.

Facebook, Uber, Microsoft, Walmart, Tyson Foods and Google have also required most or all of its employees to get the jab before coming back to the office.

This story was originally appeared on the New York Post and is reproduced here with permission

Originally published as CNN employees fired for going to work unvaccinated