Disney will demand COVID vaccines for its employees!

With rapidly changing COVID-19 security requirements, Disney has made two decisions that they hope will help keep employees and guests safe and parks open as cases of Covid escalate. All salaried and non-union hourly employees will have 60 days from today to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

While vaccinations for cast members have been left to personal discretion so far, Disney now requires all of its salaried and non-union hourly employees to be vaccinated. Negotiations have already started with the various unions which represent some of the Disney employees. Here is the official statement from Disney:

“At The Walt Disney Company, the safety and well-being of our employees during the pandemic has been and continues to be a top priority. To this end, and based on the latest recommendations from scientists, health officials, and our own healthcare professionals that the COVID-19 vaccine provides the best protection against serious infections, we require all hourly employees employees and non-union members in the United States working at any of our sites be fully vaccinated. Employees who are not already vaccinated and who are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and all employees still working at home will be required to provide a vaccination check before their return, with a few exceptions. . We have also started discussions on this subject with the unions representing our employees within the framework of collective agreements. In addition, all new recruits should be fully vaccinated before starting work. Vaccines are the best tool we all have to help control this global pandemic and protect our employees. “

The other major recent change is the reinstatement of indoor masks. This procedure will affect both Cast Members and guests visiting a Disney park in the United States.

We recently received an email from a Disneyland employee informing us that he and many colleagues at his site should be quarantined because someone at his site had tested positive for Covid-19. Disney is obviously hoping that the mandatory vaccinations will help them stay open as the current wave unfolds (and other potentials to follow this fall) and reduce pressures to close office buildings and theme parks again.

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