Seattle Dec. 18 (BNA): Boeing (BA.N) is suspending coronavirus vaccination requirements for its US-based employees, the US planemaker said Friday, capping weeks of uncertainty as thousands of workers sought waivers and challenges in Federal mandate. played in court.
In an internal announcement, Boeing said its decision followed a review of a US District Court ruling earlier this month that halted the application of President Joe Biden’s vaccine requirement to federal contractors, Reuters reported.
Some large healthcare chains and companies such as General Electric (GE.N), Spirit AeroSystems (SPR.N) and Amtrak have suspended vaccine mandates for workers.
In recent weeks, the number of Boeing employees seeking a vaccine exemption for religious or medical reasons has reached more than 11,000 — or roughly 9% of the U.S. workforce — many times higher than executives initially estimated, according to the report. Reuters first reported.
The fact that the vast majority of requests were on religious grounds led one of America’s largest employers to center the debate over the ethics of investigating an employee’s religious beliefs.
It also left executives searching for a strategy that keeps employees safe but avoids the migration of engineers and factory workers.
Boeing’s vaccination requirements have resulted in more than 92% of US-based workers reporting that they have received a full vaccination, or have religious or medical housing, according to a Friday note.
“The success of Boeing’s vaccination requirement to date puts the company in a good position to comply with federal executive order should it be brought back in the future,” she added.
A Boeing spokesperson confirmed the decision, adding that the company was “committed to maintaining a safe work environment for our employees, and to promoting the health and safety of our global workforce.”
The spokesman added that Boeing has suspended the requirement for vaccination in line with a court ruling prohibiting enforcement of the federal contractor’s executive order and a number of state laws.
Last month, the White House pushed back to January 4 the deadline to vaccinate employees of federal contractors or regularly test if they receive waivers.
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